Regarding China, the U.S. Department of Commerce has withdrawn its plan

According to reports from Reuters and other media outlets, the U.S. Department of Commerce stated on Friday (the 9th) that it has withdrawn a plan to restrict imports of Chinese-made drones in order to address "national security" issues. Last month, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), citing the so-called "unacceptable risk to national security," added all foreign-made new drones and their components to a "regulated list." This move triggered opposition from China and dissatisfaction among U.S. domestic consumers.

It is reported that the FCC stated earlier this week that it is excluding some "non-Chinese-made drones" from the relevant restrictions imposed last month. According to information released on the U.S. government website on Friday (January 9th) local time, the U.S. Department of Commerce submitted a proposal to restrict imports of Chinese-made drones to the White House for review on October 8th last year, and withdrew the proposal on Thursday (January 8th) of this week.

Reuters reported that, according to public information online, the White House and the U.S. Department of Commerce held multiple meetings on relevant proposals before December 19 last year, and met with representatives of Chinese drone manufacturer DJI in the same month. At that time, DJI told U.S. officials that imposing a comprehensive restriction on Chinese-made drones was "unnecessary, unreasonable, and would cause extremely serious damage to U.S. stakeholders."

The report stated that the U.S. Department of Commerce did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The report also mentioned the important position of Chinese-made drones in the U.S. civilian drone sales market.

Earlier, according to reports from Reuters and the U.S. "The Hill", the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) stated on December 22 last year that it had included DJI and all foreign-made drones and their components in a list of companies deemed to "pose an unacceptable risk to national security" and would prohibit the approval of new drone models for export or sale to the United States. The report said that being included in the so-called FCC "Covered List" means that foreign drone companies will no longer be able to obtain FCC approval to sell new drone models in the United States. This designation does not prohibit the import, sale, or use of any existing equipment models that have previously obtained FCC authorization, nor does it affect drones purchased earlier.

In response to the U.S. move, Chinese drone manufacturer DJI Innovation stated in a statement on the 23rd of the same month that it regretted the decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to include all non-U.S.-made drones in the "Covered List". This move not only restricts the freedom of choice for U.S. consumers and commercial users but also undermines the principles of an open and fair competitive market. The statement said that the safety and reliability of DJI's products have been verified by the global market and many authoritative independent third-party institutions over the years. We will evaluate all feasible paths and firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the company and global users. At the regular press conference of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 23rd, spokesperson Lin Jian stated when answering relevant questions that China firmly opposes the U.S. side's generalization of the concept of national security and the establishment of a discriminatory list to unreasonably suppress Chinese enterprises. The U.S. side should correct its wrong practices and provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises to operate.

The relevant ban has triggered widespread backlash in the United States. The U.S. "New York Times" mentioned that among nearly 500,000 registered drone pilots in the United States, many have started small businesses relying on DJI equipment. Drones are widely used in agricultural spraying, land surveying, construction monitoring, and public facility inspections, among other applications. The U.S. "Wall Street Journal" reported that many pilots have begun hoarding DJI drones and components, and have issued strong appeals to members of Congress and the White House, worrying that the ban will ruin their livelihoods, and bluntly stating that the Chinese-made drones they use "have no substitutes in the West."