The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), which is independently developed and operated by China, is well positioned to provide services worldwide. It will service countries along the Belt and Road Initiative by 2018 and expand its reach globally by 2020.

China launches the 23rd BeiDou Navigation Satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 12, 2016. [Photo: weibo.com]

Zhang Chunling, Chief Engineer of China's Satellite Navigation System management office, made the remarks on Saturday while attending a technical seminar in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.

Zhang said that the BDS has provided regional services for three years, with stronger performances in Beijing and Nanjing as well as low latitudes areas.

The BeiDou project was formally launched in 1994. On June 12 this year, China successfully launched the 23rd BeiDou navigation satellite that was said to be well prepared for extensive civil use and providing global services.

According to Zhang, the new homegrown BeiDou chip modules and some other core infrastructure products have been gradually made available to meet the demand of smart phones, tablet computers, wearable devices and so on.

The technology has lifted China's dependency on imported high-accuracy satellite navigation products, said Zhang.

The Chinese government released a white paper in June this year, elaborating on the development of the BDS.

According to the document, China has formulated a three-step strategy for developing the BDS and aims to complete the development of the 35 satellite constellation around 2020 to provide all-time, all-weather and high-accuracy positioning, navigation and timing services to users globally.

The services cover the area between 55 degrees north latitude and 55 degrees south latitude and between 55 and 180 degrees east longitude, with a positioning accuracy of less than 10 meters, a velocity measurement accuracy of less than 0.2 meters per second and a timing accuracy of less than 50 nanoseconds.

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