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BeiDou navigation system guides China-Arab cooperation on 'Space Silk Road'

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A self-driving tractor equipped with the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) runs along the planned routes through the remote control during the second China-Arab States BDS Cooperation Forum in Tunis, capital of Tunisia, April 1, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

He noted that the BDS has been applied in many Middle Eastern countries, including Tunisia, Algeria, Kuwait and Sudan in areas such as precision agriculture, telecommunication, maritime monitoring and disaster relief.

Li Chengwen, the Chinese ambassador for China-Arab States Cooperation Forum Affairs, said that the "Space Silk Road" is taking shape as the BDS becomes a new engine for pushing forward fruitful China-Arab cooperation, especially in hi-tech areas.

Great potential to be tapped

To promote the application of the BDS in Arab countries, the China-Arab States BDS/GNSS Center, the first BeiDou overseas center, was officially inaugurated in April 2018, in accordance with a memorandum of understanding signed at the first China-Arab States BeiDou Cooperation Forum held in Shanghai, China in 2017.

The BeiDou system has witnessed several successful cases of application in Arab countries. Most Arab states have been aware of the China-built satellite system and recognized its benefits.

In 2016, the BDS technology was used by Kuwaiti engineers in the construction of the 300-meter-tall iconic building of the National Bank of Kuwait to improve accuracy.

The BDS assisted Kuwaiti workers in installing the core wall structure of the building, which was designed in a complex shape, with millimeter-range accuracy.

In 2017, the augmentation infrastructure of the BDS has been installed across Algeria with centimeter-range accuracy, playing an important role in local military, security, transport and agriculture.

After a successful test of the BDS application in autonomous vehicles, Tunisia is expected to implement a pilot project on smart farming with the BDS application in the near future.

"As the Arab world is more and more keen to turn to digital transformation, I am confident that there is huge potential for the BDS to be adopted and implemented by Arab countries," Laabidi told Xinhua.