The negotiations between China and the European Union (EU) on
China's participation in EU's Galileo Program are expected to begin
next March.
The Galileo Program, which will include the launch of 30
satellites, is the EU's plan to set up its own global navigation
satellite system (GNSS).
Once it is completed, the Galileo Program will add to the two
already existing independent systems in the world - the global
positioning system (GPS) of the United States and the Glonass
system of Russia.
The two systems, especially the GPS, are widely used across the
world in various ways, including in cars so that their location can
be specifically traced.
A
proposal for starting the negotiations will be submitted to the EU
council of ministers next March, said Olivier Onidi, head of the
unit responsible for the Galileo Program of the European
Commission.
It
is very likely that the proposal will be given consent by the
council, because "the political will is there," he said.
Onidi was attending a two-day China-Europe Galileo Industry
Seminar, which opened yesterday in Beijing for Chinese and EU
companies related to the GNSS industry to talk with each other and
seek opportunities for co-operation.
Top Chinese and EU officials have held discussions on China's
participation in the program, said Ma Songde, China's vice-minister
of science and technology.
He
said the GNSS industry has a future in a broad range of
applications, especially civil uses.
The Ministry of Science and Technology will spare no efforts to
bring China into the Galileo Program, Ma added.
Interchanges between China and the EU on satellite navigation
techniques have already taken place, Ma said.
A
working group for co-operation on satellite navigation techniques
between the two sides was established last October.
In
addition, preparations are being made to set up a Sino-EU office
for satellite navigation in Beijing.
Since the space and navigation industry in China took its first
step in 1956, the country has made remarkable progress, said Li
Benzheng, deputy director of the department of system engineering
under the China National Space Administration.
The country has developed systems for study, manufacturing and
experimentation in the industry and has trained a group of high
level professionals, Li noted.
(China Daily December 18, 2002)