China is planning to launch five commercial satellites for unidentified foreign customers in 2012.

The five satellites will be launched along with two Luxembourg micro-satellites for sea monitoring in January 2012, two communications satellites for Hong Kong-based APT Satellite, and two remote-sensing satellites.

In 2012, China plans to launch a remote-sensing satellite for Venezuela as part of the contract signed in 2011.

The China Great Wall Industry, a commercial platform for space industry in China, signed contracts to launch a Bolivia communications satellite, a Belarus communications satellite, two Luxembourg micro-satellites and a launch service for a Turkmenistan communications satellite.

China is planning to launch a communications satellite in 2014 for the Turkmenistan Government on a Long March-3B carrier rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan province in south-west China.

Thales Alenia Space France has developed the satellite based on the Spacebus 4000C2 platform.

In addition, China also plans to launch its high-resolution geological mapping satellite, named Ziyuan III satellite, for civil purposes in January 2012 on a Long March-4B carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China’s Shanxi province.

The Ziyuan III satellite, which will cover the entire area between 84° north latitude and 84° south latitude, will be used to conduct geological mapping and carry out surveys on land resources.

The satellite will provide useful information relating to natural disasters and assistance for farming, water conservation, urban planning and other sectors.

In addition, the country also intends to assemble a space station by 2020 and to work on the Beidou (or Compass) satellite navigation and positioning system.

The satellite navigation and positioning system will be able to provide global navigation services by 2020 and it will also offer navigation, timing and short message services in the Asia and Pacific region by 2012.