China on Monday announced export restrictions on some drone-related equipment, claiming that it was doing so to protect “national security and interests” in the face of rising tensions with the United States over technology access.
The Commerce Ministry announced that on September 1st, limits would be put in place on a variety of technology, including some drone engines, lasers, communication devices, and anti-drone systems.
A ministry official said in a statement that the regulations would also apply to select consumer drones and that no civilian drones may be shipped for military use.
The unnamed official declared, “China’s small expansion of its drone control this time is a vital move to demonstrate our stance as a responsible big country, to implement global security efforts, and to protect world peace.
Authorities have alerted the appropriate nations and areas, the official added.
Drone manufacturing is a significant sector in China, and it exports to several countries, including the United States.
According to U.S. politicians, DJI, a Chinese corporation, manufactures more than 50% of the drones sold in the country and is the most often used drone by public safety organisations.
An inquiry about how the export restrictions would affect DJI was not immediately answered by the company.
The U.S. and Western media, according to China’s commerce ministry, have been circulating “unfounded accusations” that the country is sending drones to the Ukrainian conflict. The ministry added that the stories are an effort to “smear” Chinese companies and that China would continue to tighten export restrictions on drones.
The export restrictions on drones follow China’s announcement of export restrictions on a number of metals used extensively in chip manufacturing last month, which came in response to American efforts to limit China’s access to critical technologies like chip manufacturing machinery.
