China is soaring to new heights of productivity through cutting-edge drone technology in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. Residents at a local park have embraced a futuristic shopping experience, where they can purchase food and have it delivered by drones in as little as 30 minutes by simply scanning a QR code.
Chinese online platform Meituan has established around 30 drone-operated food delivery routes in Shenzhen, successfully facilitating over 300,000 orders to date. These services span office buildings, communities, scenic spots, municipal parks, and campuses, showcasing the versatility of drone technology in urban settings.
At the recent annual Central Economic Work Conference, China emphasized its commitment to fostering scientific and technological innovation to develop new quality productive forces and establish a modernized industrial system. The low-altitude economy, encompassing traditional aviation businesses and drone-supported production and services, is emerging as a leading sector in this development. Notably, it was included in the government work report for the first time this year.
Navigating low-altitude skies
A report from a research institute under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology highlights that the low-altitude sector's value reached ¥505.95 billion ($70.92 billion) in 2023 and is projected to surpass ¥1 trillion by 2026. Various aerial vehicles, including large airships for low-altitude tourism, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for express delivery and urban transportation, aerial photography, and emergency rescue operations, are increasingly deployed across China, proving their effectiveness in diverse scenarios.
In February, a five-seat electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft completed its first intercity electric air-taxi demonstration flight from Shenzhen to the nearby city of Zhuhai. The air-taxi journey took just 20 minutes—a trip that typically requires over two hours by car. Similarly, in August, a commercial passenger helicopter operated from an airport in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, soared to Shanghai Pudong Airport at speeds approaching 200 kilometers per hour.
Drones are also enhancing urban management, with \"patrol teams\" and \"traffic police\" using aerial technology to handle accidents, manage order, divert traffic, and detect traffic flow. By integrating BeiDou's communication technology, artificial intelligence, and intelligent image recognition, approximately 80 percent of drones can perform autonomous inspections, enabling personnel to monitor on-site conditions remotely.
According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), nearly 608,000 UAVs were newly registered in the first half of 2024, marking a 48 percent increase from the end of 2023. \"The data indicates that China's low-altitude economy is entering a stage of rapid development,\" said Song Zhiyong, head of the CAAC.
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China fosters new quality productive forces via tech innovation
cgtn.com
