Beidou: The Concrete Exemplification of “Xi Jinping Thought” — From Geospatial Dependence to Total Technological Autarky

The rise of the Beidou Satellite Navigation System (BDS) is not merely a chronicle of Chinese technological success, but the palpable manifestation of a strategic imperative for autarky imposed by the leadership of Xi Jinping. Starting from the necessity to eliminate a crippling technological vulnerability—reliance on GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) controlled by foreign powers—China has forged Beidou into an instrument of Information Sovereignty (信息主权) and, subsequently, a pillar of its global power projection. The definitive analysis of BDS must therefore embrace its roots in centralized planning, its epic battle for component independence, its asymmetric capabilities (like two-way SMS), and its function as the geopolitical backbone for the Digital Silk Road (DSR).

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The Imperative of Autarky and Xi Jinping's Strategic Vision

The determination to develop Beidou is intrinsically linked to the conviction, reinforced under President Xi Jinping, that the control of fundamental technologies is the precondition for national security and economic stability. China identified foreign reliance as a critical "bottleneck" that had to be eliminated at all costs.

The Presidential Mandate and Directive

Since the beginning of his tenure, Xi Jinping has elevated innovation and technological self-sufficiency to strategic imperatives, defining the political framework for Beidou’s development.

Xi Jinping: "Innovation is the premise of the concept of innovative development... to comprehensively enhance the capacity for independent innovation and strive to achieve major innovations in core scientific and technological fields and make great breakthroughs in key sectors of core technology."

Beidou is the "vivid champion" of this practice, a national security operation disguised as a scientific project.

Systemic Anchoring in the Five-Year Plans

The project has been firmly integrated into the Five-Year Plans (FYP), guaranteeing an unparalleled flow of resources and inter-agency coordination:

• 13th FYP (2016-2020): Provided the political and financial backing for the most ambitious phase, the completion of the global Beidou-3 constellation.

• 14th FYP (2021-2025): Consolidates Beidou as a "next-generation infrastructure" and an integral part of the goal for "high-level self-reliance and strengthening science and technology" (高水平科技自立自强).

This system guarantees prioritized investments and a Long-Term Vision, such as the creation of a comprehensive national Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) system by 2035.

Victory over the Bottleneck: The Atomic Clock and Engineering Audacity

The moment of crisis that defined Beidou's autarky was the realization of dependence on the onboard atomic clock, the "heart" of the satellite, whose precision is directly proportional to the accuracy of the navigation signal.

The Epic of Nationalization

The crisis, triggered by the blocking or delaying of foreign atomic clock supplies during Beidou-2’s development, forced China into a total mobilization. Chief Engineer Xie Jun and his team faced the endeavor knowing that:

Xie Jun: "...if it is not done well, the resulting losses are unimaginable... we absolutely had to develop the atomic clock ourselves."

The ultimate triumph is the 100% nationalization of all key Beidou-3 components, eliminating geopolitical vulnerability.

Chinese Architectural Solutions

Independence was cemented by unique architectural innovations:

• Autonomous Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) Architecture. The creation of the inter-satellite link system allowed satellites to communicate and correct data in orbit ("one satellite communicates, every satellite communicates"), making the constellation independent of foreign ground stations.

• Extreme Technological Audacity. Chief Designer Lin Baojun mandated the integration of an "almost impossible goal" of 70% new technologies into the experimental satellite. This audacity, summarized in the intent to "do even more things that others think are impossible," ensured that Beidou-3 was not a copy of GPS but a cutting-edge system.

Liminal Warfare and Asymmetric Intelligence Capabilities

Beidou operates within a context of "Liminal Warfare," where competition unfolds below the threshold of armed conflict. Its infrastructure is a primary target for foreign intelligence.

The Attack on the National Time Service Center

A crucial intelligence detail is the cyberattack (attributed to the NSA) against the National Time Service Center (NTSC) in Xi'an, the infrastructure that generates China's high-precision Beijing Time.

• Sabotage Objective (2023-2024). The goal was not merely data theft, but lateral penetration into the timing system to pre-position paralysis and destruction capabilities or to induce subtle, imperceptible timing errors. This attack retrospectively underscores the strategic wisdom of nationalizing the atomic clock.

The Strategic Advantage of Two-Way SMS

Technological independence has allowed Beidou to develop an asymmetric capability crucial in emergency or military scenarios: the Short Message Service (SMS).

Unlike GPS, which only provides positioning, Beidou allows users not only to know "where they are" but also to communicate to others "where they are" and "what they are doing." This integration of navigation and communication is vital for tactical military operations, emergency response, and high-seas fleet surveillance, where other networks are unavailable. The final goal is to bring the satellite SMS chip to mass-market smartphones, extending sovereign communication capability to millions of users.

The Geopolitical Pillar: The Sino-Russian Axis and Global Competition

Beidou is a fundamental pillar in Beijing's power projection strategy, particularly through its integration into the alliance with the Russian Federation

Integration with Glonass: The Alternative Technological Bloc

The November 2022 agreement between China and Russia to integrate Beidou and Glonass is not just technical cooperation but a geopolitical statement. The reciprocal installation of monitoring stations strengthens the resilience and interoperability of both systems, creating a coordinated alternative technological bloc to Western dominance. This axis enhances the security of both nations against threats of jamming or spoofing from US/NATO powers.

Extended Space Cooperation

The Beidou partnership is part of a broader strategic space and nuclear cooperation plan extending to 2030:

• International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). The two nations signed a memorandum for the joint construction of a lunar power plant and collaboration on the ILRS (Moon Base).

• Nuclear Technology. Russia is supplying advanced technology, such as thermonuclear units and collaboration on fourth-generation fast neutron reactors.

This deep alliance elevates Beidou beyond GNSS competition, making it an element of a systemic and coordinated challenge to the US-led global security and technology architecture.

The Digital Silk Road: The Map of Information Hegemony

Beidou's most strategic role is its function as the geospatial nerve of the Digital Silk Road (DSR) and the broader Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The foreign expansion of Beidou translates internal autarky into external information hegemony.

Extension of Information Sovereignty

Beidou is a de facto technical requirement for all critical infrastructure built by China in BRI partner countries.

• Operational Reliance. High-speed railways, automated ports, and 5G networks across Africa, Asia, and Latin America rely on Beidou's precision. This creates asymmetric interdependence: in a crisis, the economic and security stability of partner countries is tied to the maintenance of the Beidou signal, isolating them from potential GPS disruptions.

• Control of Aggregate Data. Beidou's adoption grants Beijing access to valuable aggregate positioning and movement data (maritime routes, logistics, movement patterns) from partner countries. This data intelligence is an invaluable strategic and intelligence asset for China's long-term planning.

The Chip Offensive and Standardization

China employs an aggressive economic strategy to ensure BDS adoption:

• Low-Cost Chipsets: Thanks to total nationalization, Beidou chips are sold or supplied at extremely favorable costs for smartphones and agricultural equipment worldwide, making Beidou the most economically rational choice.

• Global Institutional Recognition: Beidou has been integrated into the standards of at least 11 international organizations (IMO, ICAO, ITU). This normative effort forces global industries to adopt BDS compatibility, transforming a Chinese standard into a global standard and rewriting the critical architecture of the world economy.

The Future Outlook: PNT 2035

The final goal is the construction of a comprehensive national PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) system by 2035, an ubiquitous, integrated, and intelligent infrastructure that fuses Beidou with ground sensors and advanced communication networks. This system will grant China total control over the fundamental layer of geospatial and temporal information, consolidating its position as the dominant technological power in the 21st century.