BEIJING, April 18 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday unveiled its plan to explore an asteroid and a comet and invited scientists around the world to participate in the program.

The mission will involve exploring a near-Earth asteroid, named 2016HO3, and a main-belt comet, named 133P, said Liu Jizhong, director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration.

China offers to carry scientific instruments developed by other countries on the mission, according to Liu.