Sept. 3 (Bloomberg) -- China will bring forward the launch of its third manned spacecraft, Shenzhou VII, originally scheduled in October, to before the end of this month, Wen Wei Po reported, citing unidentified space officials.

The mission is scheduled to begin between Sept. 17, the end of the Beijing Paralympics, and China's National Day on Oct. 1, the Hong Kong-based, Chinese-language newspaper said yesterday.

The rocket will blast off from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu province and is scheduled to land in northern Inner Mongolia province, the report said.

China in 2003 became the third country after the U.S. and Russia to send a manned spacecraft into orbit.

To contact the reporter on this story: James Peng in Hong Kong at jpeng7@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: September 2, 2008 22:24 EDT