Many space experts had expected the launch of the Shenzhou III (Divine Vessel III) at the end of last year or the start of 2002.

However the Army Daily said Tuesday that a simulated launch using a computer had been carried out this month, indicating technical issues are still being worked out.

China's space programme, which aims to make the country the third nation to put a human into space after the United States and the former Soviet Union, is notoriously secretive and launch dates are never publicly announced.

The newspaper, which published a photograph of the Long March 2F carrier rocket which will be used to send the craft into space, said the test had taken place after the Lunar New Year period earlier this month.

"To guarantee the launch takes place without incident during this lunar year, Jiuquan space centre made detailed preparations for a winter launch ... and imposed strict rules on testing" the newspaper said, without specifying when any launch would actually take place.

According to Chen Lan, an independent Chinese space analyst who runs the "Go Taikonauts" website, said the Shenzhou III had been delayed "due to technical problems".

The first unmanned test flight of the Shenzhou program was in November 1999, when the Shenzhou I orbited the earth 14 times in a 21-hour flight aimed mainly at testing launch and re-entry capabilities.

The Shenzhou II, launched on January 9 2001, orbited the earth 108 times and tested life support systems before returning nearly a week later to a press blackout that left Western analysts suspecting a re-entry failure.

Chinese officials, however, denied such reports, albeit vaguely.

State press has previously quoted unnamed space officials as saying a manned space flight will take place before 2005.

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