China has agreed to invest in Galileo, a satellite navigation system that is being developed by the EU to compete with the American Global Positioning System, the Financial Timessaid.
The investment, which could amount to more than i230m, would give the Chinese a sophisticated satellite system, allowing it to upgrade its communication systems. EU Commission officials said China was primarily interested in Galileo's public regulated service, which is intended to be used mainly by police and security services.