In the days before 1 May, sellers across Beijing began clearing drones off their shelves. AFP saw several shops do it on 28 April. A worker at a DJI outlet in the centre of the city said the stock was being boxed up and sent to other cities.
The reason is a set of rules that take effect on 1 May. They ban drone sales in the capital and require users to get permission for every flight. Officials cite public security. The rules also bar anyone from bringing drones, or their core components, into Beijing, and e-commerce platforms may not ship them there.
What the rules require
Owners who completed real-name registration before 1 May may still take their drones in and out of the city. Users in Beijing, home to 22 million people, get three months after the rules begin to register devices at local police stations.
Airspace over the city is closed to drone flights unless the authorities approve them first. Flying without approval can bring a fine of up to 10,000 yuan (S$1,800) and the drone may be confiscated. Sellers of drones or any of 17 named core components also face fines. Storage is capped as well: no more than three drones per person at one location inside the sixth ring road.
The regulations allow exemptions for special purposes, among them counter-terrorism, agriculture, education and sport.
Xiong Jinghua, a Beijing municipal official, said when the rules were announced in March: “As the capital, Beijing faces more challenges in low-altitude airspace safety, making it more urgent to strengthen the management of UAVs.”
Reaction
Online, many users called the rules onerous. “This is a crazy one-size-fits-all system,” one wrote on WeChat. Others said they would sell their drones before the deadline.
Staff at a drone-flying school in central Beijing told AFP they did not know how they would replace drones or parts when stock breaks or needs servicing. They hoped schools and sports facilities would eventually be exempted.
DJI, the world’s largest drone maker, dominates the Chinese market. The US government has sanctioned it over security concerns. Now it risks being shut out of its home capital.
China has also tightened national law this year. Illegal drone flights can now draw up to 15 days in detention, and drones must send real-time data to authorities while in the air.
