Staff members set a route for a drone to spray pesticide above a field in Zhongtang Village of Heshan District in Yiyang, central China's Hunan Province, on April 21, 2023. Agricultral machines such as rice transplanter, rotary tiller and drones have helped streamlining the spring ploughing here.(Photo: Xinhua)

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on Wednesday released draft rules for the operation of drones, including rules on the registration of drones and their operators, to ensure security, as the widespread use of drones poses risks for air and public safety as well as national security. 

The draft rules cover several aspects of regulating drone operations, including safety requirements for operators, registration, airworthiness management, air traffic control and legal liabilities, according to the website of the CAAC. 

The CAAC is seeking public comment on the draft rules through September 3. 

In a separate statement explaining the draft rules, the top civil aviation regulator said that drones have been used in a wide range of sectors, but some problems have also emerged. 

For one thing, illegal drone flights affect aviation safety, public safety and even national security, the CAAC said, noting that some entities and individuals illegally use drones to secretly take pictures of sensitive areas, violate the no-fly regulations during major events, and interfere with the normal flight activities of civil aviation.

Moreover, the current civil aviation legal system cannot fully meet the management needs of drones, and there is a lack of targeted and effective management of drone flights, according to the CAAC.

Therefore, the CAAC said that it is necessary to establish rules for drone flights to ensure security, adding that it aims to establish a regulatory support system centered on the unmanned aircraft operation management platform to both ensure safety and the sound development of the drone industry. 

According to the rules, owners of unmanned civilian aircraft should complete real-name registration before engaging in flight activities, and unmanned civilian aircraft that conduct overseas flights and manned flights should also undergo nationality registration. Also, the rules specify requirements for air traffic control of civilian drones.

The CAAC stressed that the rules are conducive to safeguarding aviation and public safety and national security, promoting pilot programs for drone operations in certain scenarios, guiding technological innovation and increasing China's influence in the global drone market. 

The draft rules came just three days after four Chinese government departments on Monday issued two notices to impose export controls on certain unmanned aerial vehicles and related items, in order to safeguard China's national security and interests, which will take effect on September 1. Several Chinese dronemakers have voiced support for the move.

Global Times