Anyone who is seriously interested in the moon topic might want to have a look at the December 2003 issue of Scientific American, specifically "The New Moon," by Jerome M. Siegel. A taste of it can currently be found at
Scientific American. The article discusses reasons for further lunar exploration. A memorable statement made by the author is "The return of astronauts to the moon requires a political rationale, not a scientific justification." This may suggest why the Chinese want to go the moon. Not only is there much left to discover, they may also simply want to show the rest of the world that they can do it.
