China plans to build a global navigation satellite system, which is expected to provide service to users around the world, by the year 2020.

The country will send six to eight satellites to space later this year, and it will have 18 satellites in space by 2018 to provide basic services to countries along the "Belt and Road" route, disclosed Wang Li, China Satellite Navigation System Committee chairman, at the 8th China Satellite Navigation Conference on May 23.

The BDS-1 and BDS-2 systems, also known as BeiDou Navigation Satellite Demonstration System, were built in 2000 and 2012 respectively, providing communication services to Chinese and other Asian users, said Ran Chengqi, director of China's Satellite Navigation System Management Office. The BDS-3 system will broadcast additional navigation signals and enhance compatibility with other navigation satellite systems so as to provide better service for global users, Ran added.