On October 23, at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office, Tao Qing, the spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and head of the Coordination Bureau for Operational Monitoring, announced that the government is set to accelerate the development of new consumer models for low-altitude logistics, urban and intercity air transportation, and low-altitude cultural tourism.
Tao emphasized that low-altitude equipment and industries are critical components of the low-altitude economy. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) is placing significant importance on the growth of this sector. This year, the ministry has collaborated with various departments to release the “General Aviation Equipment Innovation Application Implementation Plan (2024-2030),” which aims to explore innovative approaches to support technology and equipment advancements in the low-altitude industry.
In terms of practical applications, MIIT has initiated pilot programs for innovative uses of general aviation across multiple regions in China. For instance, a conference on low-altitude industrial innovation was held in Shihezi, Xinjiang, to promote the establishment of an integrated air transport system, while a field meeting was conducted in Bei’an, Heilongjiang, aimed at setting benchmarks for the large-scale and routine application of agricultural spraying drones and forestry protection. The goal is to reduce the average operational cost of these drones to under 10 yuan per acre.
Tao stated that the ministry will continue to encourage leading regions to take the initiative and tailor-make demonstration systems for multiple low-altitude applications. This will help cultivate new consumer models in low-altitude logistics, city and intercity air transport, and low-altitude cultural tourism, while also expanding new models in agricultural protection, inspections, and emergency responses.
Chinese telecommunications companies have begun validating technologies for low-altitude communication and perception networks based on 5G and 5G-A. Tao highlighted that there will be a push for the integration and innovation of next-generation information communication technologies and renewable energy technologies with low-altitude equipment like drones. Research on the radio frequency usage for low-altitude economics will be conducted, and the construction of infrastructure for low-altitude information networks will be advanced in line with demand, alongside efforts to accelerate the development and innovation of low-altitude intelligent connectivity technologies.
Moreover, the MIIT will continue to emphasize the need for breakthroughs in critical technologies. The focus will be on key areas such as the core technologies of low-altitude equipment, safety technologies, and operational technologies, systematically promoting the resolution of essential common technological challenges and speeding up the innovation and upgrading of general aviation technologies and equipment.
