Published on: 2026-04-24
Source: People’s Republic of China in the Russian language –
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Guangzhou, April 24 /Xinhua/ — At the 139th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Guangzhou or Canton Fair, two new specialized sections have become hubs of attraction for the global community — for the first time, there were sections for consumer drones and agricultural drones. Twenty-four leading Chinese enterprises demonstrated more than 100 advanced product models.From the “celestial eye,” capturing beautiful moments of life, to the “harvest masters,” protecting the fields; from the “air couriers,” sneaking through street alleys, to the “lifesavers” in rescue operations – here, in all its fullness, the innovative energy and industrial potential of China’s low-altitude economy have been manifested.
This step has become an important milestone in implementing the Guangzhou fair development strategy, focused on “novelty, ecology, and intelligence,” as well as a vivid testament to the transformation of China’s low-altitude economy from the “experimental stage” to “large-scale development.”
“Previously, the key components of drones depended on imports; today, we have achieved complete autonomy of the entire production chain, and key technologies have become part of the world’s leaders,” said a representative of Guangdong Yufei Aviation Investment Co., Ltd., summing up a decade-long leap of the Chinese drone industry. The exhibition section features a world premiere — the ultra-light electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) “Yunqiyan.”For a novelty weighing only 116 kg, no flight worthiness certificate or pilot’s license is required, and, moreover, due to its portability and safety, it can be used for personal entertainment and emergency rescue operations.
The agricultural drone B100 from Hangzhou Qifei Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. is equipped with its own flight control system, intelligent obstacle avoidance, a function to resume interrupted routes, and real-time monitoring of chemical spraying, supporting multiple operating modes: spraying, sowing, and fertilizing. Processing 2 hectares of field takes only 15 minutes, which is almost 100 times more efficient than manual labor.
Continuous breakthroughs in key technologies are the foundation for the confident rise of China’s low-altitude economy. According to the China Air Transport Association (CATA), China accounts for more than 70 percent of the world’s production of civilian unmanned aerial vehicles. In the Pearl River Delta, the most complete industrial cluster chain in the world has been formed, and the localization level of key components exceeds 90 percent.
Once drones were a toy for enthusiasts, today they are deeply integrated into all spheres of production and life, becoming an important carrier of productive forces of a new quality. In the section on consumer drones “heavenly eyes,” their multifaceted potential is revealed: aerial photography, light shows in the fields of culture and tourism, and piloted flying devices give a new experience of a “walk in the sky.” In the field of emergency rescue work, tethered lighting drones can operate around the clock, providing illumination for an area of 8000 square meters.meters in the disaster zone; communication relay drones create “air base stations” during disaster situations, providing an information channel for rescue operations. In the areas of firefighting, inspections, and cleaning of high-rise structures, drones have become universal assistants, reducing risks and increasing efficiency. In the special zone of the agricultural sector, “harvest masters” contribute to crop harvesting. The G50 agricultural drone from Zhejiang Wenxin Mechanical and Electrical Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is equipped with a terrain-following system, adapted for grains and fruit orchards, and the uniformity of spraying exceeds 95 percent.
According to available data, the fleet of agricultural drones in China exceeds 150 thousand units, and the annual area processed by them reaches 100 million hectares, which serves as a “Chinese model” for the global development of smart agriculture.
In the field of logistics, low-altitude economy also accelerates practical implementation. In the cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou /Prov. Guangdong, South China/, regular operation of drones in the logistics sector has been established: from inter-district transportation across the river, supply to islands, and delivery to remote villages – the “air corridors” open the way to overcoming the last mile of logistics.The Chinese cargo drone with a fixed wing “Changyin-8” successfully completed its first flight, and new cargo drones with hybrid and hydrogen energy sources have also appeared, laying the foundation for the large-scale development of low-altitude logistics.
The enormous interest in the drone sections at the Guangzhou Fair reflects the rapid development of China’s low-altitude economy. In recent years, the topic of low-altitude economy has been included in the reports on the work of the CPC government for several consecutive years, moving from a new industry category to a category of new pillar industries of strategic importance to the national economy.
In 2025, the volume of China’s low-altitude economy reached 1.5 trillion yuan / about 219.8 billion USD. The USA counts almost 20 thousand companies operating drones, with the total annual orders for eVTOL exceeding 30 billion yuan. From technological research to implementation in real scenarios – China’s low-altitude economy enters a golden period of “productivity on a regulatory basis.”
The current Guangzhou fair drone section attracted a large number of visitors and brought numerous contracts: on the very first day of the fair, several companies received preliminary orders worth millions of yuan. Low-altitude products under the brand “Smart Manufacturing in China” are accelerating their breakthrough into the global market.
From the “debut sections” at the Guangzhou Fair to the industrial “blue ocean” with a turnover of trillions of yuan – the path of development of China’s low-rise economy is a path of technological breakthroughs, industrial integration, and open mutually beneficial cooperation. In the future, the main focus in China’s low-rise economy sector will be given to key scenarios such as passenger transportation, logistics, emergency rescue operations, and smart agriculture.This sector will continue to pursue breakthroughs in key technologies: increasing flight duration, enhancing payload capacity, ensuring safety, as well as improving the air traffic management system, flightworthiness standards, and the safety oversight system.
By 2035, the volume of China’s low-altitude economy is estimated to reach 3.5 trillion yuan, while the scale of related industries will exceed 10 trillion yuan, becoming an important driver of the country’s high-quality economic development. The opening of specialized civil drone sections at the Guangzhou Fair is not only a demonstration of industrial achievements but also a new starting platform for the rapid rise of China’s low-altitude economy.In the future, China’s low-rise economy will undoubtedly inscribe even brighter pages in the country’s development chronicle, bringing Chinese wisdom and Chinese variants to the development of emerging sectors of the global economy.
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