This is CBSI in the world. I'm John Batchel with my colleague and friend Gordon Chang at Gordon G. Chang.

And we're leaving the planet. Not even the Earth's moon system. We're headed to Mars. Maybe.

We welcome General Blaine Holt, United States Air Force, retired to help us interpret a story that is

suggestive of China once again taking an advantage.

Will the U.S. hand space leadership to China by pulling NASA out of Mars race is the headline

in the South China Morning Post.

I mentioned the South China Morning Post, as always, has influences from the Chinese Communist Party.

The subhead experts contrast Washington's budget threat to Martian sample return program

and clear goals for Tianwan Three Mission and Beyond.

That's the Chinese equivalent of a space mission, not only to Earth orbit but to Mars orbit.

Blaine, a very good day to you.

Your measure of China's ambition for Mars compared to what we know of our ambition for Mars,

there's Elon Musk and then there's NASA.

Good day to you, General.

Are we behind?

Are we ahead?

Are we ready?

Good day.

I think we're ahead if you start to think about our privatized space programs.

Elon Musk, the work that he's done with SpaceX, and then others like UAS and Blue Origin.

However, Chinese ambition in space is like Chinese ambition everywhere else in every sphere.

They just want to beat the Americans. And that's not going to get you to Mars anytime soon if your

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