Chinese firms join Galileo project By Cui Ning (China Daily) Updated: 2005-03-10 01:49
China Galileo Industries Ltd has been officially entrusted to fulfil the
country's role in the European-based Galileo Project, according to an agreement
which was signed yesterday in Beijing.
The
Chinese firm consists of four companies, China Aerospace Science and Industry
Corporation, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, China Satcom and
the Chinese Academy of Space Technology.
Under the agreement, signed by China Galileo and the National Remote Sensing
Centre of China, the four Chinese firms will help promote co-operation with the
European Union (EU) in commercializing the civilian use of the Galileo system in
China. They will also build an intelligent transport system based on accurate
navigation information provided by Galileo, according to Yin Xingliang, manager
of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation.
"Today's agreement is a further step to the one that was reached late last
year between China and the EU," said Zhang Guocheng, director of the National
Remote Sensing Centre of China, at yesterday's signing ceremony.
Following the agreement, China Galileo Industries Ltd will mobilize domestic
companies specializing in space, electronics and satellite technology to get
them to develop the civilian use of the Galileo satellite navigation system in
China, said Meng Bo, chairman of the board of the company.
The company is also expected to conduct more collaborations with European
Galileo Industries on future programmes, according to Meng.
The Galileo Project is a global satellite navigation system developed by the
EU, and will affect ordinary people's lives, an EU official said in a recent
interview with China Daily.
"The Galileo Project will change the life of everybody, because everyone will
be able to know where they are on earth," said Jurgen Sanders, a project
spokesman.
"Imagine you have an accident in your car, the system will give you a signal
automatically, telling you your position, your emergency and thus it may help
you avoid major problems," said Sanders.
The system will also make air traffic control more efficient. These are only
parts of the system's functions, according to Sanders.
Although the satellite navigation system is still at the development phase,
Sanders said these kind of functions will be "technically possible" in the near
future. The system is expected to become operational in 2008.
China officially joined the development of the Galileo Project last year,
with a technological agreement signed between the EU and China. The country will
build components both for the satellites and for ground support. China Aerospace
Science and Industry Corporation is taking part in the development of the
satellite system.
Firms in EU member countries are keen to co-operate with their Chinese
counterparts. Some European companies have already set up joint ventures with
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation and other Chinese corporations
to manufacture navigation equipment in China, according to Sanders.
"The giant and difficult Galileo Project is a symbol of EU-China
co-operation, because it can bring people from the two sides together and allow
them to understand each other," said Sanders. Besides this project, the EU and
China will also collaborate in energy resources, including hydrogen energy
development, nuclear fusion, biological technology, communications, air traffic
control and other projects, he said.
