Two areas where boats ride easy

1. China has set up a BeiDou-powered monitoring system to track and help fishing boats in Nansha Islands as they have been involved in frequent mishaps due to ordinary equipment on board.

So far, more than 30,000 boats have been equipped with BeiDou-enabled gadgets that can help fishermen contact others when telecom signals go weak.

The equipment can offer digital messaging services, positioning, navigation notices, emergency help and information on weather and sea waves.

It can also help fishery management departments to locate vessels, manage their navigation and extend help in time.

BeiDou's system has been widely applied in many areas including fishery departments of the government, fishery companies, large fishing boats and individual fishermen in Nansha Islands.

This has greatly reduced maritime accidents, brought IT to the marine fishery segment and professionalized information management in China.

2. China has set up a ship detection and monitoring system on the Lancang-Mekong River in southwestern China, using the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System.

Southwestern China is known for its rapids, dangerous shoals and a large number of telecommunication blind zones.

It has also been facing difficulties like straying foreign ships and international terrorism.

The system also makes use of a GPS satellite and a GSM network, and creates a 3-D monitoring and communication mechanism.

It is integrated with 3-D geographic information system that can provide users with clear images of landscapes, especially rapids.

With simulated maps of the Lancang-Mekong River, the system visualizes land forms around and can guide the ships on safe and optimized routes.