The state-owned CCTV on December 17, announced the safe return of China's spacecraft Chang'e-5 carrying lunar samples. It said the landing was in accordance with the three-step plan of the Chinese lunar exploration project "circle, fall, and return".  The CCTV newscast said Xi Jinping called on behalf of the Party Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission to congratulate the lunar exploration project on the success of the Chang'e-5 mission. It said the Chang'e-5 probe successfully completed China's first extraterrestrial celestial body sampling and return mission, which also marked China's becoming the third country in the world capable of sampling and returning from the moon.