This Day, That Year: July 18

Editor's note: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China.

On July 18, 1998, a Long March 3B rocket carried a French-made telecommunications satellite into orbit from Xichang, Sichuan province, as seen in the item in China Daily.

The SinoSat-1 satellite was designed to boost China's radio and TV broadcasts and communication services in the Asia-Pacific Region.

In 2006, the SinoSat-2 satellite was launched. One year later, SinoSat-3 went into operation.

In 2010, SinoSat-6 was launched to replace SinoSat-3. It mainly relays live TV and radio broadcasts, and enriches the lives of those who live in remote and mountainous areas.

After decades of research and development, the country has become a leader in the communications satellite sector.

The country's first high-throughput communication satellite Shijian 13 is now in service after conducting the world's first experiment on high-orbit laser communication last year.

The technology is crucial to enabling a spacecraft to send, receive and transmit a large quantity of data to ground stations.

In August 2016, China launched the first quantum communications satellite. It was a major step in the country's bid to be at the forefront of quantum research, which could lead to new, completely secure methods of transmitting information.

Last year, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp started building the country's largest satellite constellation, with plans to offer communication services to users around the world.

Upon its completion, the Hongyan constellation will consist of more than 320 satellites operating in low-Earth orbit, capable of providing phone and broadband services to users anywhere on the globe.