BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- China's satellite navigation industry continues to expand, with the total output value of the sector reaching 629 billion yuan (about 91.9 billion U.S. dollars) in 2025, an increase of 9.24 percent year on year, according to a newly released white paper on Monday.
The white paper, unveiled by the Global Navigation Satellite System and Location-Based Services Association of China (GLAC), said that nearly 1.4 billion smartphones in China were equipped with BeiDou positioning capabilities by the end of 2025, accounting for about 98 percent of all mobile phones in the country.
It also said that more than 160 million wearable devices supported BeiDou positioning services. In addition, over 100 million passenger cars had onboard devices using BeiDou services for navigation and positioning.
Beyond China, BeiDou services and related products have been exported to more than 140 countries and regions worldwide, the white paper said.
According to the white paper, the country's satellite navigation industry is now upgrading toward a "BeiDou spatiotemporal industry" -- one that integrates mobile communications, indoor positioning, and AI to create a smart, seamless space-ground network.
"If the digital economy is a high-speed train, BeiDou is its tracks and timetable," said Zhang Huifeng, president of the GLAC. He noted that BeiDou will no longer just tell people "where you are," but also helps answer "when, under what conditions, and how to make smarter decisions."
A senior official from China's National Development and Reform Commission said during this year's "two sessions" of China's top legislature and top political advisory body that China will continue pushing large-scale BeiDou applications, with the goal of growing the industry beyond one trillion yuan within five years. ■
