China pushes homegrown GPS for connected cars

Beidou system touted as tech rivalry with America heats up

20210812NY starry navigation in Nanchang

Stars and other heavenly bodies adorn a tunnel ahead of the 12th China Satellite Navigation Expo this past May in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province. The Beidou satellite navigation system was completed in 2020. © Getty Images

SHUNSUKE TABETA, Nikkei staff writer

BEIJING -- China is encouraging carmakers to adopt the domestically developed Beidou satellite navigation system in their automated vehicles and other connected cars, apparently to steer them away from the U.S. government's GPS.

The advice comes in a new Ministry of Industry and Information Technology notice that calls on carmakers to strengthen data management. They should use a reliable satellite positioning system, the notice says, recommending Beidou for this purpose.

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