China, 1st August 2023: China put export limitations on select drones and drone-related equipment on Monday, citing the need to protect “national security and interests” amid rising tensions with the United States over technological access.
The restrictions on equipment, which include some drone engines, lasers, communication devices, and anti-drone systems, will go into effect on September 1, according to the commerce ministry.
The limits also apply to some consumer drones, and no civilian drones can be exported for military reasons, according to a ministry official.
The unidentified spokesperson quoted by Reuters, said, “China’s modest expansion of the scope of its drone control this time is an important measure to demonstrate our stance as a responsible major country, to implement global security initiatives, and maintain world peace.”
Authorities have contacted appropriate countries and areas, according to the spokesperson .
China has a thriving drone manufacturing business that exports to a variety of nations, including the United States.
In 2019, Congress prohibited the Pentagon from purchasing or deploying Chinese-made drones and components.
According to US lawmakers, the Chinese-based corporation DJI, manufactures more than half of all drones marketed in the US, and they are the most popular drone deployed by public safety organisations.
DJI stated on Monday that it has always strictly followed and enforced the rules and regulations of the nations and regions in which it operates, including China’s export control regulatory requirements.
The drone maker stated, “We have never designed and manufactured products and equipment for military use, nor have we ever marketed or sold our products for use in military conflicts or wars in any country.”
In March 2022, a German merchant accused DJI of passing data on Ukrainian military positions to Russia, which the company dismissed as “utterly false.”
In April of this year, China’s commerce ministry stated that US and Western media were circulating “unfounded accusations” that it was shipping drones to the battlefield in Ukraine, adding that the stories were an attempt to “smear” Chinese enterprises and that it would continue to enhance drone export regulations.
The drone export restrictions come after China placed export bans on several metals commonly used in chipmaking last month, in response to US efforts to limit China’s access to crucial technologies such as chipmaking equipment.
