Civilian navigation systems suffered large-scale disruptions in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, with the Nanjing Satellite Application Industry Association attributing the issue to temporary interference with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). However, the vague explanation has sparked public speculation that the failure may be linked to security measures for a major event or drill tests.

According to reports from National Business Daily and Taiwan’s United Daily News, numerous Nanjing netizens noticed sudden malfunctions or inaccuracies in navigation apps on the evening of Wednesday (December 17). Anomalies included incorrect positioning such as "being at home but showing location in a lake" and interface messages like "no road data." Food delivery and shared bicycle services were also severely affected, with normal operations resuming around 10 p.m. that night.

In a response on Friday (December 19), the Nanjing Satellite Application Industry Association stated that the core cause of the navigation failure was temporary interference and suppression of GNSS signals, including those from Beidou and GPS. It implicitly noted that temporary signal control measures for security purposes during major events are "routine safety assurance methods within the industry."

This has led to public speculation that the incident may be related to security arrangements for the Cross-Strait Entrepreneurs Summit, which was held in Nanjing from Tuesday to Wednesday and attended by senior Communist Party of China officials.

Additionally, the association specifically mentioned in its response that both Beidou and GPS signals were simultaneously affected during the anomaly, "verifying the strategic significance of compatibility between Beidou and GPS civilian frequency bands." This has also raised external concerns about whether the incident was a drill test.

The association pointed out that given the military alignment between the United States and the European Union, the NATO system also relies on GPS signal frequency bands. Any interference targeting Beidou’s civilian signals would simultaneously impact GPS-related applications, "fundamentally curbing the possibility of malicious interference and building a solid security barrier for China’s civilian navigation services."

Hu Xijin, a Chinese media personality and former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, questioned the association’s response in a post on Friday. He stated that the vague expressions in the response failed to truly address public doubts, leaving uncertainty about whether "it was a drill test or malicious sabotage by illegal forces using jamming signals to suppress satellite signals." He also called on Nanjing authorities to clearly inform the public of the exact cause.

Civilian navigation systems suffered large-scale disruptions in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, with the Nanjing Satellite Application Industry Association attributing the issue to temporary interference with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). However, the vague explanation has sparked public speculation that the failure may be linked to security measures for a major event or drill tests.

According to reports from National Business Daily and Taiwan’s United Daily News, numerous Nanjing netizens noticed sudden malfunctions or inaccuracies in navigation apps on the evening of Wednesday (December 17). Anomalies included incorrect positioning such as "being at home but showing location in a lake" and interface messages like "no road data." Food delivery and shared bicycle services were also severely affected, with normal operations resuming around 10 p.m. that night.

In a response on Friday (December 19), the Nanjing Satellite Application Industry Association stated that the core cause of the navigation failure was temporary interference and suppression of GNSS signals, including those from Beidou and GPS. It implicitly noted that temporary signal control measures for security purposes during major events are "routine safety assurance methods within the industry."

This has led to public speculation that the incident may be related to security arrangements for the Cross-Strait Entrepreneurs Summit, which was held in Nanjing from Tuesday to Wednesday and attended by senior Communist Party of China officials.

Additionally, the association specifically mentioned in its response that both Beidou and GPS signals were simultaneously affected during the anomaly, "verifying the strategic significance of compatibility between Beidou and GPS civilian frequency bands." This has also raised external concerns about whether the incident was a drill test.

The association pointed out that given the military alignment between the United States and the European Union, the NATO system also relies on GPS signal frequency bands. Any interference targeting Beidou’s civilian signals would simultaneously impact GPS-related applications, "fundamentally curbing the possibility of malicious interference and building a solid security barrier for China’s civilian navigation services."

Hu Xijin, a Chinese media personality and former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, questioned the association’s response in a post on Friday. He stated that the vague expressions in the response failed to truly address public doubts, leaving uncertainty about whether "it was a drill test or malicious sabotage by illegal forces using jamming signals to suppress satellite signals." He also called on Nanjing authorities to clearly inform the public of the exact cause.