China is preparing to launch a Mars probe in 2020 scheduled to arrive on the red planet in 2021, said aerospace expert Ye Peijian.

"Although we are not the first Asian nation to send a probe to Mars, we want to start at a higher level," said Ye, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The probe will include an orbiter, a lander and a rover. The orbiter will conduct global surveys of Mars and the entry device will land a rover on the surface.