China’s BeiDou navigation system has finally caught up with the US’ GPS in terms of reach and accuracy. After more than 30 years of development, Beijing is now eager to chip away at GPS’s dominance globally. The Chinese government wants BeiDou to appeal to international users, making it a credible alternative.
To achieve this goal, China is investing heavily in BeiDou’s development, offering the service for free, and providing incentives such as subsidies and donations to developing countries. This strategy aims to promote BeiDou adoption in regions less aligned with the West, particularly in global maritime and aviation safety.
While numerous hurdles remain, analysts believe that Beijing’s long-term investment in BeiDou will pay off. Professor Michael Shin of UCLA notes that there are opportunities for China to incentivize overseas adoption, advancing its interests in the broader geopolitical context. As BeiDou continues to grow in reach and accuracy, the world may soon welcome an alternative to GPS.
Source: https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3277511/after-30-years-chinas-beidou-gps-rival-will-world-enter-its-orbit