China’s ‘low-altitude economy’ on the rise as southern city named focal point

China publishes guideline designating southern provincial capital as major staging ground for research, development in ‘low-altitude economy’

The sector, which covers unmanned aerial vehicles operating within 1km above ground, is seen as a strategic emerging industry

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A district in China’s southern provincial capital has been named as a staging ground for the “low-altitude economy”, a growing sector most familiar to consumers through drones. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 11:00am, 26 Mar 2024

China has designated the capital city of Guangdong province, its economic powerhouse in the south, as the nexus of its unmanned equipment industry – a part of broader efforts to spearhead technological advancement and advance its plans to be a global player in drones, autonomous vehicles and civil aviation.

Nansha, a district in Guangzhou, has been selected to develop a citywide management system for unmanned vehicles as well as industry standards for what has been deemed the “low-altitude economy”, according to a document recently released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s top economic planner.

The district has also been encouraged to “take bold moves” in research and transform the resultant discoveries into marketable products.

“We strive to give full play to Nansha’s unique advantages and make Nansha a carrier for bold exploration and early breakthroughs,” said Xiao Weiming, deputy secretary general of the NDRC, at a press conference last week.

“We expect to generate pioneering experiences that can usher in new developments in key reform areas nationwide.”

The NDRC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and the State Administration for Market Regulation, issued a 15-point guideline in January to broaden market entry in the district. The area is an emerging hub for hi-tech in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), a regional economic integration plan for Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau designed to drive innovation and technological advancement.

The guideline, which explicitly states its goal as better leveraging Nansha’s “leading role in the construction of the GBA,” dedicated significant space to the need for technical standards covering maritime, land, and air applications of unmanned technologies as a unified system.