China has successfully launched two navigation satellites as a step to build its own global positioning network to rival the US-based GPS with a constellation of over 30 satellites.
This system will provide services for countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, and form a complete global satellite navigation system by 2020.
China will become the third country in the World after the US and Russia to operate its own Global Positioning System (GPS) system.
The BeiDou project was formally initiated in 1994.