China's BeiDou reaches world-class level: white paper

BEIJING -- China has developed the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) into a top-class system with cutting-edge technologies, pioneering design and powerful functions, according to a white paper published Friday by the State Council Information Office.

Titled "China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System in the New Era," the white paper said the BDS has reached a world-leading level in core technologies in terms of hybrid constellation, inter-satellite links, and signal structure.

BDS is compatible with other navigation satellite systems and capable of providing diversified and specialized services, the paper said.

It also highlighted BeiDou's outstanding batch production capability, saying that in less than three years, 18 rockets had carried 30 BDS satellites into orbit, "a pace unmatched by any other country."

BDS is able to provide a wide range of services, such as positioning, navigation, timing, and international search and rescue. It is the world's first navigation satellite system able to provide a global short message communication service, the paper noted.

The actual positioning accuracy of the BeiDou system is now better than five meters, and in some areas, between two and three meters, well above its design target of 10 meters, said Ran Chengqi, a spokesman for the system, at a media conference on the white paper in Beijing.

The timing accuracy of the BDS has also exceeded the target of 20 nanoseconds, reaching 10 nanoseconds, Ran added, implying that the BDS is comparable to other major world navigation systems.

"The 100 percent independent development and operation of BDS core components has laid a solid foundation for its widespread use," the paper said.