China to launch 3 more satellites for Beidou system

China will launch another three satellites for the Beidou system, China's global positioning and navigation network, by the end of the year, enabling it to provide a free positioning, navigation and time service for customers in the Asia-Pacific region by the end of the year.

"The trial service of the Beidou system shows it can provide a high-quality regional service," Ran Chengqi, director of the China Satellite Navigation Office, said at the third China Satellite Navigation Conference that opened in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province, on Wednesday.

Academic discussions and exhibitions showing the latest developments of Beidou's navigation for industrial use will be held during the conference, which will run from Wednesday to Saturday.

Beidou, or Compass, will eventually become a global satellite positioning and navigation system that can compete with the US' GPS in 2020, with more than 30 orbiters.