Nepal attends training programme of Chinese navigation system BeiDou in Beijing on 'special invitation'

NEW DELHI: Nepal is undergoing a 13-day training programme of 'BeiDou' Navigation Satellite System (BDS) in Beijing after it received a special invitation from China to attend the event. The programme kickstarted on September 4 and will commence on September 20.

In July, China formally launched full global services of its BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS) to rival the widely-used American GPS and provide independent navigation structure for its increasingly modernising military.

The move of China to launch its BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS) to compete with GPS which is a US-based navigation company. China has been using its homegrown navigation system BeiDou for both militaries as well as civil purpose.

BDS, stated to be rivalling US' GPS, is the fourth global satellite navigation system in the world. Other systems are Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo. 

Meanwhile, India too is developing its own navigational system named - Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), with an operational name of NAVIC.

BDS's implementation will not only reduce the dependence of Chinese aircraft, vehicles and anti-missile systems on GPS and GLONASS, but it will enhance People's Liberation Army (PLA) capabilities in conducting overseas operations.

BeiDou started providing independent navigation services over China in 2000 and will promote its use in countries, signed for its mega Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Currently, BeiDou covers nearly 30 countries including Pakistan, Egypt and Indonesia.

China’s BRI is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects launched in 2013 by President Xi Jinping. It is aimed at furthering China's influence abroad with infrastructure projects funded by Chinese investments all over the world.

The initiative also led to allegations of smaller countries reeling under mounting Chinese debt after Sri Lanka gave its strategic Hambantota port in a debt swap to China in 2017 on a 99-year lease.