The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China published a white paper titled "China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System" on Thursday.
Following is the full text of the white paper:
China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System
The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China
June 2016
Contents
Preface
I. Goals and Principles of Development
III. Reliable and Safe Satellite Navigation Services
IV. BDS Application and Industrial Development
V. International Cooperation and Exchanges
Preface
The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (hereinafter referred to as the BDS) has been independently constructed and operated by China with an eye to the needs of the country's national security and economic and social development. As a space infrastructure of national significance, the BDS provides all-time, all-weather and high-accuracy positioning, navigation and timing services to global users.
In the late 20th century, China started to explore a path to develop a navigation satellite system suitable for its national conditions, and gradually formulated a three-step strategy of development: to complete the construction of the BDS-1 and provide services to the whole country by the end of 2000; to complete the construction of the BDS-2 and provide services to the Asia-Pacific region by the end of 2012; and to complete the construction of the BDS and provide services worldwide around 2020.
Along with the development of the BDS project and service ability, related products have been widely applied in communication and transportation, marine fisheries, hydrological monitoring, weather forecasting, surveying, mapping and geographic information, forest fire prevention, time synchronization for communication systems, power dispatching, disaster mitigation and relief, emergency search and rescue, and other fields. These products are gradually penetrating every aspect of social production and people's life, injecting new vitality into the global economy and social development.
Navigation satellite systems are public resources shared by the whole globe, and multi-system compatibility and interoperability has become a trend. China applies the principle that "The BDS is developed by China, and dedicated to the world" to serve the development of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road ("Belt and Road Initiative" for short), and actively pushes forward international cooperation related to the BDS. As the BDS joins hands with other navigation satellite systems, China will work with all other countries, regions and international organizations to promote global satellite navigation development and make the BDS better serve the world and benefit mankind.
I. Goals and Principles of Development
China lays store by the construction of the BDS, ranking it one of its national key technical projects that supports its innovative development strategy.
(I) Goals of Development
Building a world-class navigation satellite system to meet the needs of the country's national security as well as economic and social development, and providing continuous, stable and reliable services for global users; developing BDS-related industries to support China's economic and social development, as well as improvement of people' s living standards; and enhancing international cooperation to share the fruits of development in the field of satellite navigation, increasing the comprehensive application benefits of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).
(II) Principles of Development
China upholds the principles of "independence, openness, compatibility and gradualness" in the BDS construction and development.
- By "independence," it means to uphold independent construction, development and operation of the BDS, and acquire the capability to independently provide satellite navigation services to global users.
- By "openness," it means to provide open satellite navigation services free of charge, and encourage all-scale, multilevel and high-quality international cooperation and exchange.
- By "compatibility," it means to enhance BDS compatibility and interoperability with other navigation satellite systems, and encourage international cooperation and exchanges, so as to provide better services to users.
- By "gradualness," it means to carry out the BDS project step by step, enhance BDS service performance, and boost the development of satellite navigation industry in a comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable manner.
