"At present, the civilian drone industry in China is troubled by the absence of national standards, flight restrictions caused by low-altitude airspace control, high operation costs as well as low mobility of ground systems," he said.

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There are 44 national standards that govern military drones but those for civilian versions have yet to be created. The government is aware of the situation, and several central departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Civil Aviation Administration of China, are drafting guidelines on technical requirements and airworthiness standards.

The government should allocate more low-altitude airspace in which civilian drones can fly, Chu said, urging military and civil aviation authorities to further relax their grip on low-altitude airspace.

For his part, the chairman said the group will explore methods to help clients reduce the high cost of flying drones, while continuing to develop advanced versions that require fewer support personnel to improve the mobility of the unmanned system.

According to information released at the 2013 China Unmanned Aircraft System Summit held in Beijing in September, there were more than 130 State-owned and private enterprises on the Chinese mainland involved in the civilian unmanned aircraft business - and they had produced nearly 15,000 drones.

A recent report by BI Intelligence, a consulting service in the United States, estimates that commercial drones will represent nearly $12 billion in global sales over the next decade.

Chu said foreign clients have been in touch with his company over the export of military drones, but the civilian types are not likely to be exported in the short term.

 

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