China last Friday commissioned its answer to the US’ global positioning system (GPS) , in a move it has heralded as a major milestone in its quest to become a space power. It also boosts China’s precision military strike capabilities and its global clout by offering countries and companies an alternative to the US-controlled GPS, they say.

But Beijing could find it challenging to encourage widespread adoption of BeiDou – for instance, while the majority of smartphones in China are compatible with it, netizens often complain Apple’s iPhones are not.  Still, Beijing has been using BeiDou to boost its international clout, said  RSIS Associate Research Fellow James Char, pointing out it has been a part of Belt and Road Initiative pacts China has signed with other nations.