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The Beidou navigation system began providing services for civilians in the Asia-Pacific region on Thursday. After going through a one-year trial operation and adding six more satellites in 2012, Beidou, in terms of performance, is "comparable" to the United States' GPS, Ran Chengqi, spokesman for the China Satellite Navigation Office, told a news conference on Thursday. Beidou, which means compass, now has a constellation of 16 navigation satellites and four experimental satellites. "Signals from Beidou can be received in countries such as Australia," Ran said. Its positioning accuracy has also improved, from 25 meters horizontally and 30 meters vertically at the beginning of the trial operation to the current 10 meters both horizontally and vertically, he said. But in a GPS-dominated market, Beidou needs enterprises to participate in the development of applications for the system. A number of foreign companies have already shown an i...

The newly-opened lines include the new No. 6 Line, the southern section of the current No. 8 Line, the northern section of the current No. 9 Line and the southern and western stretches that complete a loop for the current No. 10 Line. [File photo]  Beijing is scheduled to put four subway lines into operation on Sunday, part of the city's efforts to expand rail transit to ease severe traffic congestion. The newly-opened lines include the new No. 6 Line, the southern section of the current No. 8 Line, the northern section of the current No. 9 Line and the southern and western stretches that complete a loop for the current No. 10 Line. The new lines bring the number of subway lines in Beijing to 16, with a total length of 442 kilometers, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport said in a statement on Saturday. The city has turned to public transport, especially rail transit lines, to tackle massive traffic jams on the city's vehicle-clogged roads. The ...

Snow stymies travel plans of early birds HEAVY snow swept through central and northern China yesterday, grounding aircraft, halting trains and causing icy conditions on expressways. The winter's blast created misery for early bird travelers hoping to beat the upcoming travel rush for the Chinese Lunar New Year. Passengers stranded at airport terminals, railway stations and long-distance bus stations waited for conditions to improve. The railway operator issued a warning early yesterday, saying that trains, including high-speed bullet trains, would be running at slower speeds for safety reasons in areas - mainly in northern and central China - affected by heavy snows. Travelers were advised to check updated schedules. Among services affected was the newly opened Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed line - the world's longest high-speed rail line. The 2,298-kilometer link went into full operation on December 26. Other major routes, such as Shanghai-Beijing and Beijing-Tianjin, also s...

Photo released on Dec. 29, 2012 shows Chinese President Hu Jintao (R, front) talks with villagers of Hengbei Village in Dazhong Town, Yancheng City, east China's Jiangsu Province. Hu made an inspection tour in Jiangsu Province from Dec. 26 to 29. [Photo/Xinhua]  Chinese President Hu Jintao has urged to boost China's overall national power through continuous scientific innovation. Hu made the remarks during an inspection tour in east China's Jiangsu Province from December 26 to 29. Scientific innovation is a strategic support for enhancing social productivity and the overall national strength, said Hu while visiting Jiangsu's enterprises and industrial parks. It's a must to improve independent innovation and grasp key technologies in order to transform the economic growth mode and accomplish the goals for national development, Hu said. He urged the officials and people in Jiangsu to insist on the path of scientific development under the leadershi...

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Although Beidou is a latecomer in the world's navigation market, Chinese companies have set their eyes on the unique services provided by the system. Beidou's hybrid orbit increases the number of visible satellites, enhancing the stability of its navigation signal, Cao Jianlin, vice-minister of science and technology, said in an interview with China Daily. Beidou also uses an all-direction and short-message communicating technique that other navigation systems do not have, he said. Currently, there are four major navigation systems worldwide - China's Beidou, the Global Positioning System of the United States, Russia's Glonass and the European Union's Galileo. GPS completed its constellation of satellites in 1994, while Beidou just finished its network to provide services to the Asia-Pacific this year, and it plans to complete a global network by 2020. "Beidou has its unique advantages designed for users. For example, the short-message c...

Twenty seven people were injured in a ferry collision in Macao Outer Harbor Saturday, according to sources from the local police authority. The passenger ship carrying 175 passengers and 8 crews, leaving for Hong Kong at 12:15 am, knocked down a buoy about 15 minutes after departure. A passenger said, he heard a big sound when he was taking rest and he was not hurt with his seat belt on. But many people who didn't fasten their seat-belts get injured during the collision. The ship sailed back to the ferry after the collision. The police authority confirmed that 27 passengers were injured, 25 of them had been sent to hospital immediately, and most of them were slight contuse and scratching. Related government departments have launched the emergency mechanism after the collision. Read More @ Source