China to further improve BeiDou tech innovation: vice premier

CHANGSHA, Sept. 15 -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing said on Tuesday that China will further enhance technological innovation of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) so that it can better serve global users.

Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a speech delivered at the 5th International Summit on BDS Applications held in Zhuzhou in central China's Hunan Province.

He said China is willing to work with all parties to uphold the principles of openness and integration, coordination and cooperation, as well as mutual complementarity for shared benefits.

He said China will strengthen the integration of BeiDou with artificial intelligence, satellite internet and other technologies, continue to advance system iteration and upgrading, and promote the healthy and orderly development of the BeiDou industry.

China will seek to enhance the system's applications in terms of service coverage and quality and contribute to global governance in satellite navigation, Zhang noted.

The BeiDou system benefits not only the Chinese people but also people around the world. The BDS has been providing stable and reliable positioning, navigation and timing services to users worldwide with its continuously improving performances and service quality, as well as its steadily expanding application scenarios and scale, according to Zhang.

The BDS has been used in a wide range of fields, including transportation, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, hydrological monitoring, meteorological forecasting and disaster relief.

About 900 people, including Chinese and foreign experts and scholars, business leaders, government officials and representatives of international organizations, attended the summit's opening ceremony