BEIJING, Muharram 15, 1438, October 16, 2016, SPA -- China will launch a two-man space mission, Shenzhou 11, on Monday, officials with the space programme said, taking the country closer to its ambition of setting up a permanent manned space station by 2022, Reuters reported. President Xi Jinping has called for China to establish itself as a space power, and it has tested anti-satellite missiles, in addition to its civilian aims. China says its space programme is for peaceful purposes, but the U.S. Defense Department has highlighted its increasing capabilities, saying it was pursuing activities aimed to prevent adversaries from using space-based assets in a crisis. After Monday's launch at 7:30 a.m. (2330 GMT) in the remote northwestern province of Gansu, the astronauts will dock with the Tiangong 2 space laboratory, where they will spend about a month. "This mission is characterized by its longer duration and more tests," Chen Dong, the junior astronaut on the mission, told reporters in a televised news conference. "We will focus on improving our ability to handle emergencies in orbit, medical first aid, mutual rescue capabilities and space experiments." Shenzhou 11 will be the third space mission for Jing Haipeng, who will command the mission and pass his 50th birthday in space. --SPA 10:27 LOCAL TIME 07:27 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w