BeiDou begins

摘要

THIRTY-FIVE THOUSAND kilometres above the island of Borneo, the final piece of a Chinese infrastructure project is floating into place. The satellite is the last to join the BeiDou navigation system, which has taken nearly 30 years to develop and build. The state-owned firm that launched it from Sichuan province on June 23rd says the network of BeiDou satellites will function fully around the end of July. China sees this as a moment of triumph. It marks the end of the country's dependence on America for provision of a vital service: location data.