China to Place Restrictions on Certain Drone Exports, Ease Restrictions on Others in Response to Concerns about Military Use
The ruling Chinese communist regime has declared that it will prohibit the export of unregulated civilian drones that could be utilized for military or terrorist purposes. Some temporary restrictions on drones have also been lifted, with the changes set to take effect on Sept. 1.
The revised control list now includes high-precision measurement equipment and certain unmanned aircraft components, as stated in a joint release by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs, and the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission on July 31. The decision aims to prevent drones from being used in the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Commerce in China has removed its temporary restrictions on specific civilian drones without specifying the types affected.
This action comes amid increased scrutiny and criticism from Western countries, led by the United States, regarding China’s supply of civil-military dual-use equipment to Russia for its activities in Ukraine. The move followed a visit by the Ukrainian foreign minister to Beijing in late July.
China is a prominent manufacturer in the global drone industry.
The CCP Loophole
Reports from U.S. intelligence agencies and media have indicated that Chinese drones were used in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, a claim that Beijing has consistently denied.
DJI Technology Co., Ltd., a leading drone manufacturer based in China, was blacklisted by the U.S. government in December 2020 due to its links with the CCP’s military. DJI has expressed opposition to the military use of its products but acknowledged challenges in restricting purchases for such purposes.
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Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, DJI announced in April 2022 that it would halt business operations in Russia and Ukraine.
Amid mounting international pressure, the CCP introduced export controls on drones and related equipment in July 2023, including a two-year ban on the export of certain consumer-grade drones and a prohibition on civilian drones for military use.
However, the decision to lift some of these restrictions indicates a significant loophole in CCP’s drone exports, as noted by Shu Hsiao-Huang, an associate research fellow at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research.
Shu highlighted that despite high-tech controls imposed by the West on Russia and Iran, China (the CCP) might find ways to circumvent restrictions.
He mentioned that consumer drones capable of transmitting image data could be utilized in combat situations, highlighting the potential concerns surrounding their use.
Meanwhile, Su Tzu-yun, a researcher at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, mentioned that consumer drones are typically small, used for photography, and have limited control distance and capacity.
Furthermore, Shu suggested that the CCP might be concerned about potential U.S. sanctions on drone exports, impacting its market in the West.
He emphasized, “At least on the surface, [the CCP] must cooperate with the West on these controls due to the pressure.”
In addition to drone exports, there are concerns in the West about Chin’s drone technology potentially being shared with Russia or Iran. Shu mentioned the use of Chinese-made parts in Iranian drones that attacked Israel in April.
“Even if they [the CCP] are not supplying drones, these Chinese-made parts may still be installed in Iranian or Russian drones,” Shu added.
Ning Haizhong and Luo Ya contributed to this report.
