Chinese drone makers support government's move to impose curbs on exports

Chinese drone maker DJI said on Tuesday that it has never designed and manufactured any product and equipment for military use, and will strictly adhere to export controls enforced by the government.

According to a statement released by DJI, the company is strongly opposed to the use of their technology for military or war purposes, and has never promoted and sold their products for those purposes. The company has also been taking active measures to avoid its drones from being converted into weapons or used for military purposes, and the company is always abiding by legal requirements. 

DJI said that it will strictly follow the recent export control measures announced by the Chinese government while fulfilling its corporate social responsibility.

Aerospace CH UAV Co, a listed company under China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, noted that the government's latest export control measures will not affect the company's export business, adding that the new government policy will help standardize the order of the military drone export market.

The companies' responses came after four government departments on Monday issued two notices to impose export controls on certain unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and related items on Monday, in order to safeguard China's national security and interests which will take effect on September 1. 

The notices imposed export controls on items including some specialized drone engines and communication equipment, while implementing temporary export controls on consumer-grade drones for a period of two years and prohibiting drones not listed from being exported for military purposes, a spokesperson from China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Monday. 

The export controls do not target any country or region, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson noted that high-performance UAVs have certain military attributes, and implementing export controls are in line with international practices. 

Since 2002, China has started to implement export controls governing UAVs, and the scope of control and technical standards is in tandem with those of the international community.

China decided to moderately expand export controls on drones as a major drone producer and exporter amid increased risks for high-grade, high-performance civilian drones being repurposed for military use in recent years due to expanded application scenarios of drones, MOFOCM said. 

However, export controls do not mean an outright ban on drone exports as Chinese enterprises can still export their products for legitimate civilian uses after fulfilling corresponding procedures, the ministry added.