China calls for global co-op on satellite navigation

State Councilor Liu Yandong on Monday called for closer global cooperation regarding the use of satellite navigation systems.

Satellite navigation has touched on many aspects of economic activity, as well as the lives of ordinary people, Liu said while speaking at the opening ceremony of the seventh Meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG).

Over 240 delegates from 16 countries and regions and 18 international organizations are attending the meeting from Nov. 5 to 9, discussing topics ranging from satellite compatibility and interoperability to the enhancement of satellite navigation performance.

"In the field of satellite navigation, an era of major exchange and cooperation has come," Liu said, adding that it is the shared understanding and responsibility of the global community to deepen and expand cooperation between satellite navigation systems worldwide.

"In such cooperation, we should follow the principle of equality and mutual benefit, as well as ensure that exchanges and cooperation are multi-directional, multi-tiered and of high quality," Liu said.

Liu said the Chinese government places high importance on the development of satellite navigation, as the country has developed a series of satellite navigation products with proprietary intellectual property rights.

China advocates international cooperation in the development of satellite navigation and stands ready to share achievements with other countries, formulate standards and promote the application of satellite navigation systems worldwide in order to provide an impetus for global economic growth, Liu said.

China became a member of the ICG in September 2007. The country's Beidou satellite navigation system is recognized as a global satellite navigation system along with the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), the EU's Galileo Positioning System and Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).