© Adrian MannChina's Tiangong-1 space lab will eventually burn up in earth's atmosphere.
Wu Ping, deputy director of the manned space engineering office, said Tiangong-1 has been in service for four and a half years - two and a half years longer than it was designed for.
"Based on our calculation and analysis, most parts of the space lab will burn up during falling," she said, adding that it was unlikely to affect aviation activities or cause damage to the ground.
Ms Wu said China highly valued the management of space debris "conducting research and tests on space debris mitigation and cleaning", Xinhua reported.
"Now, China will continue to monitor Tiangong-1 and strengthen early warning for possible collision with objects."
Ms Wu said China would release a forecast for the space station's fall to Earth internationally if necessary.
Harvard astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell said the news suggested China had lost control of the station - and if so, it would be impossible to predict where the debris would land.
"You really can't steer these things," he told the Guardian.
"Even a couple of days before it re-enters we probably won't know better than six or seven hours, plus or minus, when it's going to come down.
"Not knowing when it's going to come down translates as not knowing where its going to come down."
The news comes as technical problems prompted Russia's space agency to postpone the launch of its next manned Soyuz spaceship to the International Space Station, which was originally scheduled for September 23.
China has been very active in space this past decade, with a lander or two on the Moon, this space station and who-knows what else orbiting Earth and Mars. Certainly they have gained experience by their successes and failures and have possibly learned enough to equal the U.S. and Russia.
Thanks to the 'western' stand on China, we may never know what wonders the Chinese discovered out there.