BEIJING: A high-ranking Chinese military official urged researchers to properly maintain China's home-grown navigation system so it can provide steady and reliable services for the country's economic development and military combat preparations.
Fan Changlong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission required researchers to beef up the security measures of the 'BeiDou' Navigation Satellite System (BDS) and increase its capacity to ward off interference.
The BDS began providing services to civilian users in China and surrounding areas in the Asia-Pacific region.
The general functionality and performance of the BDS is comparable to the GPS system, but cheaper, a spokesman for the system said.
Fan said the system has broken China's reliance on foreign navigation systems and carries great significance in safeguarding national security and promoting economic development.
The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission jointly issued a letter congratulating relevant parties on the launch of the BDS. (QNA)
