To promote the international application of the BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS) can facilitate the BDS to serve as a global public service infrastructure and better serve the world. This study examines the international application strategies of GPS of the United States, GLONASS of Russia, and GALILEO of the European Union, and proposes several basic strategies considering the current status and trend of the international application of the BDS. Specifically, the international application of the BDS should follow a leap-forward application path and adopt five application modes: building confidence, diversified development, integration and collaboration, government-enterprise linkage, and shaping the international environment. To promote the BDS to the global market, we suggest to take the Asia-Pacific market as the primary development region, the countries and regions along the Belt and Road as the key application region, while taking into account the European and American markets as well as the potential markets in Africa and the Middle East. Moreover, the international application of the BDS can be realized gradually through three steps: reform and adaptation, market expansion, and global application.