China issued its first development plan for the geographic information industry, according to an announcement from China's National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation.

China sees the geoinformation industry as a new source for economic growth and plans to establish a comprehensive industry system with independent intellectual property rights by 2020.

China will focus on developing remote sensing services as well as manufacturing surveying and mapping equipment and navigation systems, according to the plan.

The country will actively support leading enterprises and strengthen the training of innovative talents in the field, the plan said.

China's independently-developed Beidou navigation satellite system achieved positioning accuracy within one meter in May and is expected to be applied in sailing, marine exploration and rescue, and maritime monitoring.

The Beidou navigation satellite industry alone will have an output value of 400 billion yuan (about 65 billion U.S. dollars) by 2020, according to a geo-spatial information expert.