White Paper Reports Growth in China's Satellite Navigation Industry

Beijing (ANTARA) - China’s satellite navigation industry continues to expand, with the sector’s total output value expected to reach 629 billion yuan (1 yuan = Rp2,576) by 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 9.24 per cent, according to a newly released white paper on Monday (18/5).

The white paper, released by the Global Navigation Satellite System and Location-Based Services Association of China (GLAC), noted that by the end of 2025, nearly 1.4 billion smartphones in China will be equipped with BeiDou positioning capabilities, covering approximately 98 per cent of all mobile phones in the country.

The report also highlighted that over 160 million wearable devices support BeiDou positioning services. Furthermore, more than 100 million passenger cars have been equipped with built-in devices utilising BeiDou services for navigation and positioning.

Beyond China, the white paper stated that BeiDou services and related products have been exported to more than 140 countries and regions worldwide.

The document explains that China’s satellite navigation industry is currently being upgraded into a ‘BeiDou spatio-temporal industry’. This involves integrating mobile communications, indoor positioning, and artificial intelligence (AI) to create an intelligent and seamless space-to-ground network.

“If the digital economy is a high-speed train, BeiDou is its track and schedule,” said GLAC President Zhang Huifeng.

He added that BeiDou will not only inform users of “where you are,” but will also assist in answering “when, under what conditions, and how to make smarter decisions.”

A senior official from China’s National Development and Reform Commission stated during this year’s ‘two sessions’—the country’s highest legislative and political advisory meetings—that China will continue to promote the large-scale application of BeiDou, with the goal of developing the industry beyond one trillion yuan within five years.