China will place export controls on drone and drone equipment in order to “safeguard national security and interests,” its commerce ministry has announced, in a move that could impact the war in Ukraine.
The restrictions on equipment will require vendors to seek permission to export certain drone engines, lasers, imaging, communications and radar gear, and anti-drone systems. Consumer-grade drones with certain specifications are also subject to the controls, which come into effect September 1. All civilian drones not included in the controls are prohibited from being exported for military purposes, an unidentified ministry spokesperson said in an online statement.
“China’s modest expansion of the scope of drone control this time is an important measure to demonstrate its commitment as a responsible major country to implement global security initiatives and maintain world peace,” the statement said, adding that China has “consistently opposed the use of civilian drones for military purposes.”
Drones have become an increasingly prominent feature of modern warfare, employed by both Russia and Ukraine as Moscow wages war on its neighbour. Civilian drones, with the potential to be altered or employed for military use, have also come into the spotlight during the conflict. Earlier this year, CNN found evidence of a downed Chinese-made drone, retrofitted and weaponized, that had been used to target Ukrainian forces. The maker, Mugin Limited, confirmed to CNN that it was their airframe, calling the incident “deeply unfortunate.”
Some tech bloggers say the machines are known as “Alibaba drones” as they have been available for sale for up to $15,000 on Chinese marketplace websites including Alibaba and Taobao. China exports drones to several markets, including the United States, and has a sizable domestic drone manufacturing industry.
The raft of new controls follow the release last week of a report compiled by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence which alleges that as of March, China “had shipped more than $12 million in drones and drone parts” to Russia, citing a “third-party analysis” of Russian customs data.
The report, titled “Support Provided by the People’s Republic of China to Russia” and dated 2023, largely cites open source data and Western media reporting to support its claims.
The report does not specify whether the alleged drone shipments were used on the battlefield, but cites shipments of “dual-use” goods.
