China tightens controls on export of drones, supercomputers

BEIJING: China is tightening controls on exports of some drones and powerful computers and will require firms to register to ensure they do not “compromise national security”, state media reported on Sunday.
From August 15, manufacturers of certain powerful drones and computers will have to give technical details to the authorities to obtain a license prior to export, Xinhua news agency said.
The new regulations from the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs are aimed in particular at drones which can fly for more than one hour and at heights of more than 15,420 metres (50,000 feet).
In the first five months of 2015, China exported some 160,000 civilian drones, a jump of 70 percent year-on-year, worth more than $120 million, the official China Daily newspaper reported last month.
Leading Chinese maker DJI dominates 70 of the global market. But this manufacturing giant has ensured its products “were not involved in these (new) export controls”, according to a statement reported by Chinese media, suggesting the government was mainly interested in restricting exports of military technology.