China has set up a modern marine radio navigation system and will provide high accuracy positioning service from January 1, 2002, announced the Chinese Maritime Safety Administration here Thursday.

   The system will provide safe navigation and positioning service to vessels entering and leaving the country's major sea harbors and waterways.

   Liu Gongchen, deputy head of the administration, said that the system, known as "Radio Beacon Navigation--Differential Global Positioning System (RBN--DGPS)," broadcasts information based on satellite analysis and provides highly accurate positioning data to users.

   Liu said that the network consists of 20 RBN--DGPS stations located along the eastern seaboard, with each station covering a 300-kilometer signal radius.

   The users on sea can receive the signals using a GPS receiver. Generally, in the 300-kilometer coverage area, the receiver can obtain positioning accuracy within a range of 5 kilometers to 10 kilometers.

   The RBN--DGPS system adopted the GPS system of the United States, and operates 24 hours a day.

   According to Liu, the system can also meet the demands of other users requiring high accuracy positioning service in the fields of national defense, hydrographic survey, offshore oil exploitation, fishery, ocean resource investigation, maritime safety administration, and dredging.  

   The system can also be used on land for urban construction, traffic and public security in coastal cities, said Liu.