A navigation station using an up-to-date marine positioning system was put into operation recently in Fangcheng City in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The country now has a marine radio navigation system able to cover all China's coastal areas from the estuary of the Yanglujiang River in northeast China to the Xisha Islands in the south, said Geng Wenfu, head of the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration.

Known as the "Radio Beacon Navigation--Differential Global Positioning System (RBN--DGPS)", this system is said to be equal to the America-made GPS system and can provide highly accurate positioning data to vessels either entering or leaving the country 's major harbors and waterways.

As there are 20 RBN--DGPS stations scattered along China's eastern seaboard, vessels at sea can receive signals 24 hours a day through a GPS receiver.

Usually, in the 300-kilometer coverage area, these receivers can obtain accurate positions to within five to 10 meters.

According to Geng, the system can be used for a variety of offshore activities including measuring sea-routes, traffic security management, localization of beacons, exploration of offshore oil, surveying of ocean resources, ocean fishery and at- sea-salvaging.

In addition, the system can also be used on land for urban construction, traffic management and public security in coastal cities.

Before the system officially began operating in January 2002, a year-long trial was made in 2001.

Its construction took five years and began in 1995.

( January 13, 2002)