China plans to launch 120 applied satellites

China will launch around 120 more applied satellites to accommodate economic and social needs, a senior executive of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said on Monday.

However, Yang Baohua, deputy general manager of the corporation, did not specify the period of time over which the launches will span.

The Chinese economy will continue to record relatively high growth, generating more demand for aerospace technologies, Yang said at an international aviation and aerospace forum held in south China's Zhuhai city.

"We will focus on building a self-controlled national space infrastructure that can operate continuously and stably for a long time," Yang added.

China will launch about 70 remote sensing satellites to detect the near-Earth space environment and predict extreme events, according to Yang.

China will also launch about 20 communication satellites to meet communication demand in national security and public services.

In addition, China will launch about 30 navigation satellites to provide accurate and reliable global positioning and navigation services.