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"When Russian President Vladimir Putin visited China in February 2022, China donated a sample of 1.5 grams [0.05 oz] of lunar soil to Russia for scientific purposes," Guan said at the celebration of the Space Day of China in the city of Hefei.
The samples of lunar soil were collected in the northeastern part of the lunar mare Oceanus Procellarum, located on the visible side of the Moon, and delivered to Earth by the Chinese probe Chang'e 5 in December 2020, the official added.
Beijing gifted the same amount of the lunar soil to Paris during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to China earlier in April, Guan said.
China celebrates the Space Day on April 24. On this date in 1970, Beijing launched the Changzheng-1, also known as Long March 1, carrier rocket, which delivered the country's first satellite, Dongfanghong-1, into orbit.
In November 2020, China launched the Chang'e-5 vehicle. The mission lasted 23 days, as a result of which 1,731 grams of lunar samples were delivered to Earth. The probe became the first spacecraft sent for collecting lunar soil in 44 years. The mission made China the third country to supply lunar soil to Earth after the United States and the Soviet Union.