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Alibaba’s Amap, supported by China’s GPS rival Beidou, expands global coverage to boost Belt and Road plan
- The digital map now supports route planning and navigation in more than 200 countries and regions, according to Amap CEO Liu Zhenfei
- Users can search for nearby attractions, restaurants and hotels in countries taking part in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative
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Amap, a maps app operated by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, has expanded its coverage to overseas territories using China’s home-grown Beidou satellite navigation system, touting its service as “a world atlas for Chinese people”.
Known locally as Gaode Map, the digital map supports route planning and navigation in more than 200 countries and regions after an upgrade on September 2, enabled by China’s answer to the United States’ GPS satellite system, Amap chief executive Liu Zhenfei said at a Belt-and-Road-Initiative themed event hosted by state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Amap users can use the app to search and view nearby attractions and services, such as restaurants and hotels, in countries that are part of Belt and Road – China’s ambitious plan to connect more than 70 countries across Asia, Europe and Africa via a “New Silk Road” of railways, highways and ports – according to the company.
Amap aims to “actively participate” in advancing the digitisation of Beijing’s grand infrastructure connectivity plan, Liu was quoted as saying by Chinese media.
The map’s widened coverage comes after China launched its 56th Beidou satellite in May, three years after its last one. For comparison, the GPS system is currently made up of 24 operational satellites.
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