China says it has successfully carried out its first-ever rendezvous of two orbiting spacecraft.

Officials say the unmanned Shenzhou-8 spacecraft docked with the experimental Tiangong-1 module Thursday morning about 340 kilometers above the Earth's surface. The sophisticated procedure is a critical step in China's ambitions to establish a manned space station by 2020.

The official Xinhua news agency says Premier Wen Jiabao and other top officials witnessed the historic event at the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center. President Hu Jintao sent a congratulatory message from France, where he is attending the G-20 summit.

The two joined spacecraft will orbit the Earth for 12 days before separating and repeating the procedure. After two more days together, the Shenzhou-8 will undock from the module and return to Earth.

Australian space analyst Morris Jones tells VOA the docking maneuver was a critical step forward for China's ambitous space program.

However, he pointed out that China is only now mastering skills that the United States and Russia have had for more than 40 years.

China plans two more docking missions with the Tiangong-1 module next year, with at least one of them carrying a live crew that could include China's first female astronaut.

But Jones says China has some ambitious plans for unmanned space flight as well.

Jones said many outside analysts believe China's long-term goal is to land astronauts on the moon.