BEIJING -- China will further upgrade its BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) technologies, functions and services to create a comprehensive spatiotemporal system that provides flexible, smart, precise and secure navigation, positioning and timing services, according to a white paper published Friday.

The document, titled "China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System in the New Era," was released by the State Council Information Office.

In building a more powerful BDS, China will create its own smart and distinctive system for operation, maintenance and management, and gain a competitive edge in services such as short message communication, ground-based and satellite-based augmentation, and international search and rescue, said the white paper.

By steadily improving the quality and increasing the scope of its services, BDS will build the capacity to provide global decimeter-level positioning and navigation with high integrity, thereby delivering better services to users worldwide.

China began to develop its own navigation satellite system in 1994. The BDS-1 entered service and began providing positioning services in China at the end of 2000. Since that, China became the third country in the world with a navigation satellite system.

The BDS-2 was completed in 2012, providing passive positioning services to the Asia-Pacific region. In 2020, the BDS-3 was formally commissioned to provide satellite navigation services worldwide, according to the white paper.