(Yicai Global) Nov. 19 -- China has launched another two BeiDou satellites to advance its navigation system. 

A launch vehicle called Long March-3B took off at 2:07 a.m. today from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Xichang to carry the 18th and 19th BeiDou-3 satellites, state-backed newspaper People's Daily reported on its mobile application. 

The space stations entered the designated orbit about three hours later and next, they will be tested for eventual cooperation with other space capsules in the same group. 

The navigation system will put into operation by year-end and it will offer positioning services to countries participating in the Belt and Road initiative, which is President Xi Jinping's investment plan that covers tens of former Silk Road countries. 

This China's equivalent to the American GPS system will reach global coverage by 2020. It can currently position objects with an accuracy between 2.5 to 5 meters. 

Editor: Emmi Laine