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China tech

China's version of GPS now has more satellites than US original

Growing global coverage of BeiDou positioning system raises security fears

A model of the BeiDou navigation satellite system is displayed at an exhibition in China's southern Hunan Province in April.    © Reuters

TOKYO -- China's BeiDou satellite positioning system has overtaken its U.S. rival in size, a shift with potentially huge implications for both high-tech industry and national security.

The U.S. has long been the world leader in satellite-based positioning with its Global Positioning System. China by contrast did not put itself on the map until relatively recently, launching its first such satellite in 2000.

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