Nation to upgrade maritime satellite network by 2020

China plans to launch eight satellites providing ocean and land data before 2020, a senior official said on Wednesday.

"The planned satellite launches, including four satellites observing the color of the sea, two observing ocean currents and two maritime radar satellites before 2020, have been approved by the National Development and Reform Commission," Jiang Xingwei, director of the National Satellite Ocean Application Service, told China Daily at the third Digital Ocean Forum in Tianjin.

The new satellites will greatly improve China's ability to observe and supervise the marine environment, he said.