China’s Low-Altitude Economy
Flying Taxis, Small Drones and More
Chinese X-Peng makes its debut in Dubai. Source.
This is not science-fiction. This is the reality of China today.
Table of Contents
World’s First Autonomous Flying Taxi Goes on Sale
World’s Second Autonomous Flying Taxi Goes on Sale
Introduction
Building Infrastructure and Designing Regulation
Different Cities, Different Plans
Drone Pilots
Drone Uses
– Multiple
– China’s Great Wall
– Mount Everest (Mount Qomolangma)
– Agriculture
Drone Light Shows
More Innovation
– Some New Kinds of Drones
– – Prosperity – Air Taxi
– – Changchun – Emergency Uses
– – Cargo Drone – Flying Truck
– Mind-Controlled Drones
– Quantum Key Distribution With Drones
– Soft Drone Grippers
– And Smuggling, too . . .
Military Applications
– Submarine-Launched Drone
– China’s “Swarm Carrier”
– China’s Type-076 Drone Carrier
– Composite Military Scenario
America’s Best – Google Wing and the US Military
Epilogue
Appendices
– Flying Car Videos
– Drone Videos
World’s First Autonomous Flying Taxi Goes on Sale
Photo by Macao News/Vanesse Chan. Source.
The E-Hang EH216-S is the world’s first autonomous flying taxi to obtain a certificate of airworthiness. Created entirely with its own IP, it was developed by the Chinese company EHang, and has been in production and available for purchase since early 2024. The aircraft is priced at 2.4 million yuan ($330,000), and has sold dozens domestically and internationally.
The electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft operates fully autonomously, controlled via a 5G-A ground command and dispatch system. It can carry two passengers 35 kilometers in 15 minutes. A key safety feature of the aircraft is that every critical component has multiple backups, fully ensuring stable and safe flight even if certain parts malfunction. [1a]
Prospective Customers examine the interior of an E-Hang flying taxi. Source.
World’s Second Autonomous Flying Taxi Goes on Sale
XPeng AeroHT Voyager X2 (production model) over Dubai. Source.
The Xpeng X2 is a 2-passenger autonomous fully-electric flying vehicle. Its teardrop-shaped design and sci-fi appearance reflect very efficient aerodynamics and excellent flight performance. Like all Chinese flying taxis it is constructed almost entirely of carbon fiber. The price is around US$250,000.
This is actually a fifth-generation autonomous eVTOL aircraft, with flight supported by a two-way 5G-A communication system. It has eight electric motors and propellers, which provide a maximum speed of 130 km/h (80 mph) with a flight duration of about 45 minutes. Some of the safety features include distributed electric propulsion (DEP), multiple redundant systems, spherical environment detection, autonomous return and landing, ground monitoring, real time video, omnidirectional camera and an emergency ballistic parachute. [1b]
Xpeng X2 during flight demonstration at Xpeng headquarters in Guangzhou. Source
At the end of this article is a list of some brief videos you can watch.
Introduction
For many decades, man has harbored the dream of a future where urban skies were filled with small flying vehicles, depicted so often in science-fiction books and movies. Thanks to a concurrence of new technological innovations, this dream has now become a practical reality, with the world facing another transportation revolution. This dream is very much alive in China: several models of air taxis have already been certified, are in commercial production and available for purchase, and are already flying in some Chinese cities and in other countries. They will soon be ubiquitous; the use of these drones is expected to explode in the next decade.
The term “low altitude” generally refers to airspace with a vertical distance of less than 1,000 meters above ground level, with the prospective activity related to this sector having been christened “the low-altitude economy”. This will include not only pilotless air taxis but smaller drones that will materially alter many social and industrial sectors like package delivery while totally transforming other sectors like agriculture. There is no question that this “low-altitude economy” is set to redefine some segments of transportation, today in China and tomorrow the world.
It was really the convergence of many technological developments occurring more or less simultaneously that made this new revolution possible. The creation and vast appeal of electric cars (EVs), the development of superior battery technology, the creation and accelerated evolution of small drones, of true 5G communications, of artificial intelligence (AI), the software evolution for self-driving vehicles, satellite navigation . . .
China’s government considers the low-altitude economy to be “a transformative force” that will alter the way people think and act in society’s daily activities. “These manned and unmanned low-altitude drones have so many diverse applications that they present not only significant development opportunities but will be a driver of new productive forces” which are as yet largely unimagined. [1] Other observers have similarly stated that this new domain is emerging as “a new frontier for unparalleled growth and innovation”, [2] describing it as “a transformative landscape where technology, infrastructure, and urban development converge.” It is difficult to disagree with this assessment, and also difficult to foresee the impending changes.
The rise of this new economic sector, driven by the opportunity created by the above technical advances will not only revolutionise some industries, but will foster increasing innovation in related areas of science and technology, as well as creating many new kinds of high-value jobs. [3]China’s low-altitude economy has experienced a rapid development that has already far surpassed expectations. Chinese firms today are bringing innovative new products and applications to market at an increasing pace, partly thanks to supportive government policies. [4]
China’s national government considers this a key future industry, a new direction for technological and industrial development which will drive more research and innovation and give the country a strategic edge. [5]It is of much significance that China is in the lead in the underlying technologies that support this future-oriented industry.
Driven by rapid technological advancements and government policy support, China’s low-altitude economy is experiencing unprecedented growth and gaining new momentum. The market size of this new “economy” is both huge and growing at staggering rates. It exceeded 500 billion RMB in 2023, more than 1 trillion RMB in 2024-2025, and is expected to reach 10 trillion very soon. The civilian small-drone sector is itself growing enormously, with revenues of nearly 200 billion RMB in 2025. [6][7]At the time of writing (early 2025), China had around 15,000 drone industries and more than 2 million small drones registered, with an accumulated flight time of more than 25 million hours. They register around 2 million flight hours per month.[8]
Building Infrastructure and Designing Regulation
As with other countries, China faced the proliferation of drones flying without restriction, without skill, lacking adequate safety considerations, and potentially filling and endangering the entire low-altitude airspace. Unlike other countries, China’s leaders recognized the situation, studied it intensely, and created an entire new infrastructure and regulations to keep this new economy organized and safe. Most other nations prohibited drone flight near airports, but not much else. The Chinese authorities put countless hours into thought and planning, and have created a model that could be followed by most nations.
They first worked to establish what were called “invisible roads” to ensure orderly flights and flight paths, the emphasis being on organisation and safety. They actually designed a real-time 3-D grid of the low airspace and created flight paths to help prevent collisions between these low-altitude aircraft and also to avoid buildings. The system was inspired by the flights of birds in large flocks where they are coordinated and function as a single entity.This “swarm intelligence” was used to design the system.[9]
Designated“corridors”and air routes were considered crucial, especially for the larger drones carrying passengers. Thus, the various levels of government focused on building a stable and comprehensive infrastructure that extended “far beyond commuting and logistics”. [10]Today, China has nearly 500 registered drone routes.
They also created teams of researchers and scientists focused on maximizing battery power output, and spent “vast sums” on rotor design to mitigate noise and improve efficiency. They concentrated on increasing the effectiveness of flight control systems and on payload capacity, as well on “functional navigation” that would permit these small drones to operate in the most complex terrain and conditions. China’s national government, as well as provinces and cities, spent an enormous time to establish operational modes and technical standards to prepare this new industry for its safe future.[11]
To assist in the rapid evolution of the overall drone industry, governments have established many “drone-testing” airspaces in the country. One of the largest is just North of Beijing, an area of 600 square kilometers devoted to flight testing. [12] It is intended for trial flights of all manned and unmanned aircraft, including large industrial drones, and China’s “real” 5-G communications network can facilitate real-time monitoring of all aspects. Another area near Chengdu specialises in flight testing of the smaller unmanned drones, and it has become “a hot destination” for firms doing drone research and development, testing, and application. [13]The area is used by around 100 firms, and conducts more than 100 test flights per day.
Technical capacity is an integral part of the drone infrastructure, combining 5G-A, artificial intelligence, satellite communications, and other technologies. The government integrates China’s BeiDou communication technology with AI, intelligent image recognition, and much other technology to build the necessary economic infrastructure for this industry. As one indication of China’s intense focus on building and supporting this burgeoning industry, Chinese patents in this area increased from 850 in 2014 to more than 14,000 by 2023.[14]
The regulatory processes for drones have been in the making for years. By early 2021, the low-altitude economy was formally written into China’s national development plan, and standards were already being established. By mid-2023, China had already published the first national standard for the civil drone industry, to ensure the sector’s healthy development. The standards have mandatory technical requirements and are meant to guide the design, production and testing of drones and help ensure user safety for micro, light and small drones. [15]
Quote from a news report on regulations: “The government has developed a large set of provisional regulations for drones that govern and regulate the design, production, operation and application of these large and small, manned and unmanned vehicles, for all types of activities. These regulations are meant to prevent security risks and provide legal support for the healthy development of the industry. Among these regulations are requirements for owners of drones to properly register them with ID, and for operators to have training and proper qualifications. As well, the national and provincial governments are establishing airspaces that are open to drones, as well as “no-fly zones”, and introducing appropriate supervision systems.” [16]
Different Cities, Different Plans
In addition to the national government’s planning and building of the infrastructure and regulations to manage and support the low-altitude economy, there is much more being done at lower levels. Each province and city have developed their own plans and initiatives to participate in this new industry. Each area is of course free to do as it pleases, but there is coordination at a national level to ensure that resources are allocated in reasonable measure and that concentrations are sensible and productive. This coordination includes not only various levels of local government but emphasizes technological innovation and collaboration across the entire industry, which includes large enterprises, small and medium-sized businesses, universities, and research institutes.
The city of Shenzhen, for example, has built a comprehensive low-altitude industrial chain which includes around 2,000 businesses with an output of well over RMB 100 billion (US$15 billion). Their focus is primarily on research in what they term “key technologies” such as remote identification, perception and avoidance, and enhanced navigation. In addition, Shenzhen by early 2025 had more than 150 established low-altitude routes. The city also passed a volume of legislation dealing with infrastructure, technological innovation, safety management, and many support services. They also created a joint management mechanism involving military, civilian, and air traffic management authorities.
China’s Hainan Province has a three-year plan to cultivate at least 200 enterprises related to the low-altitude economic industrial chain. The focus is on (a) developing low-altitude aircraft and (b) creating a low-altitude economy hub with a complete manufacturing ecosystem that can foster innovative industrial clusters. [17]
As another example, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei low-altitude economy industry alliance was established, in which the main urban centers and the province combined planning and resources to maximise the potential output of that area. The plans call for a deep integration of scientific, technological, and industrial innovation. [18]Each major province and city have done something similar, all well-coordinated and all meant to create the most favorable environment for research, production, and deployment.
Drone Pilots
“As with all countries, China had a headache initially with unregistered drones and unapproved flights by untrained civilians. However, by 2019, by 2019, China’s national government had already designated “unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilot” as a new profession in China’s occupational classification, and many drone training schools had been established across the country.” [19]More than 250,000 drone pilot licenses were issued by early 2025. Many of these schools are founded by local city governments and are free. I believe China is the only nation to be doing this; in most other nations where I have information, requirements are much less comprehensive or stringent.
“Students in China’s training programs must prove an understanding of the theories, applications and maintenance of drones, and demonstrate a high level of skill in piloting in order to obtain a license to operate drones. The instruction typically requires 12 to 14 days of intense study and practice, but this is deemed to provide a student with only the basic drone operating skills, with still much room for improvement. Safety is considered paramount in this training. The schools also have flight simulators, much the same as used for airline pilots though on a micro scale.”
“China’s booming low-altitude economy has given rise to a new profession – drone pilots.” The demand in China for qualified drone pilots is increasing exponentially. Companies especially in airlines, technology firms, aerial photography companies, and educational institutions are looking for qualified pilots with several years’ experience, and paying salaries as high as 15,000 RMB per month. [20]As drones become increasingly common, many other new related jobs are emerging, such as designers, assembly engineers, maintenance technicians in addition to pilots.
Drone Uses – Multiple
Growth of the drone industry in China is expected to be a long-lasting trend that will accelerate.China’s world-class manufacturing capability can already produce every type of drone, and expectations are that we will see further segmentation and specialization in the civil drone market. Drones are being used in increasingly more kinds of industries and applications with these scenarios expanding enormously. [21]
Small drones are being deployed in aerial photography and stage performances, and are becoming increasingly common in video and movie productions, able to provide views from any perspective. They provide fantastic light shows during events like the Olympic Games or the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Drones monitor river channels, forests and flood plains. DJI produced a special drone that uses thermal imaging for forest patrolling. They are used for the inspection of bridges and power transmission lines. Maritime authorities use them for offshore monitoring, since some drones can fly 50 Kms or more over water to perform their tasks. China has special fire-fighting drones for urban areas that can spray high-pressure water columns very high into the upper floors of a building. [22]
EH216-F (Firefighting Model) pilotless aerial vehicle. Source.
Fire-fighting drones spraying a high-rise fire. Source.
In the inspection of electrical transmission lines, inspectors previously needed binoculars and aircraft to inspect high-altitude equipment, which was imperfect at best, with high safety risks and inaccurate precision. This is now safely done by staff sitting comfortably at a desk while a drone with high-resolution optics examines everything in minute detail. Heavy-duty drones are used in mountainous areas to clear ice from high-voltage lines that are nearly inaccessible by other means. [23]Highway maintenance departments have nearly abandoned manual inspection of roads and bridges because drones can do much more work in much less time, and with no expense or effort. [24] In one case of disaster relief for floods the authorities dispatched nearly 50 drones equipped with cameras, thermal infrared and lidar sensors, able to scan embankments even in the dark.
Small drones are used for emergency rescue and supply delivery, for aerial surveying and mapping. They deliver biological and medical samples, and test results to labs and hospitals. They carry and install solar panels in difficult terrain.[25] They are used to deliver supplies to military troops drilling in remote or inhospitable locations. [26]
Drones find lost people. In 2023, two backpackers became lost in the wild mountains of Changping, and a manpower search would have been much too slow in that large mountainous area, so a search team was quickly assembled using a swarm of thermal imaging drones. The backpackers were quickly located and brought to safety.[27] Universities use small drones to deliver admission letters to prospective students. [28]
Small drones waiting for food orders to be loaded. Source
They are of course widely used to deliver food and consumer goods, bringing fresh fish and crabs from the piers to the markets. [29] The Chinese food delivery firm Meituan began pilot operations for an urban logistics network which will ensure that each drone can deliver an order to a customer within 15 minutes.[30] Food delivery by drone will soon be ubiquitous throughout China. It is already so common in some areas that small delivery drones attract no attention.
Some orange orchards are located in very difficult terrain, where previously double-track transport vehicles had to be used to remove the fruit from the countryside. Now, specialised drones carry 50 Kgs down the mountain at one time and in only a few minutes, making everyone’s life much easier.[31] China’s logistics giant SF Express began an interprovincial drone-delivery service for fresh fruit like lychees, a process that is 70 percent quicker and 30 percent cheaper than conventional transport.[32][33]
China’s Great Wall
One usage that will be much appreciated is the drone delivery of fresh hot coffee to those hiking on China’s Great Wall. Just pick up your phone and place your order, and within 5 minutes a tiny drone will be overhead with your coffee or other drink.[34]
Mount Qomolangma (Mount Everest)
DJI makes world’s 1st successful drone delivery Mt. Qomolangma. Source.
DJI has produced special drones to assist those climbing Mount Qomolangma (Mount Everest). These drones can carry as much as 15 Kgs (about 35 pounds) to a height of more than 6,000 meters (nearly 20,000 feet). They bring oxygen bottles and other supplies, and they carry down all the trash from the mountain peaks.[35][36] The second link has excellent photos.
Agriculture
Agriculture is already transformed by the use of small drones which are used in seeding, crop spraying, applying fertilisers, delivering feed, surveying crops, artificial pollination, and much more, with extraordinary increases in efficiency and decreases in time and cost. China has the largest area of farmland served by agricultural drones in the world. Ten years ago, China had less than 700 agricultural drones; two years later, it had 4,000. Three years ago, it had more than 120,000, and today more than 250,000, and nearly the same number of licensed agricultural drone pilots. In 2015, Heilongjiang had only 300 agricultural drones servicing 60,000 hectares of farmland. Five years later, the province had 17,000 drones servicing over 12 million hectares.[37]
China’s agricultural drones are so much faster and efficient today; they can cover 7 times the land area possible only a few years ago. Their evolution has been so outstanding that these drones have been sold to more than 20 regions, including Japan and countries in Europe, North America and Southeast Asia. In what may have been a surprise, the popularization of agricultural drones has created new jobs such as drone pilots and drone pilot instructors in rural areas and attracted more and more young people to return to the countryside.
And of course, the US used drones in its massive biological warfare on China’s pork industry a few years ago.
Drone Light Shows
Thousands of drones ready to take off
This cannot be appreciated without seeing in real life. It is stunning to watch a light show that is produced by as many as 10,000 pre-programmed drones swarming simultaneously in unison, repeatedly changing shape to present different pictures in the sky. We can genuinely wonder how such a thing is possible. A company in Tianjin has staged more than 60 drone light shows in 30 cities in China, with more than 100,000 drone flights. One of their larger shows was a 15-minute performance so spectacular it attracted more than 100,000 spectators and over 300 million views online.[38] These drone swarm performances are complex, and have emerged as a special area of expertise. DJI and other Chinese firms are leaders in drone production related to these light shows.
The manufacturing chain includes 16 core component manufacturers for sensors, batteries, remote controllers and receivers, flight control, navigation and communication systems. Some of this technology has proven transferable to aerial inspection surveys and other applications.
Drone light show in Beijing that won a Guinness World Record. Source.
Drone light show over Fuzhou: Writing in the sky. Source.
At the end of this article is a list of 7 brief videos of drone light shows. Must see.
More Innovation
Before continuing with a description of some innovation in the vast range of small drone usage, it should be noted that Chinese drone manufacturers spend huge amounts of time in researching potential applications. The engineers of firms like DJI will spend literally months with farmers, with the staff of express or food delivery personnel, professional photographers, movie producers, electrical utility personnel, and many more. They do this until they have learned everything necessary about the specific requirements of a small drone to perform a task, after which they will return to their factory to design a small drone to precisely fulfill that specialised task. It is not an accident that DJI has 75% of the worldwide market share for small drones. None of this happened overnight, nor did it occur in a vacuum.
China’s major small drone manufacturers greatly accelerated the evolution of their technologies in only a few years. They have added obstacle-avoidance radar systems, better flight control, enhanced image sensing and so much more. Rapid camera development has played a major role in the applications of these small drones. Huawei and Xiaomi are widely recognized today as having the best cameras in the mobile phone industry, with 50 Megapixel capacity and astonishingly high resolution. All of this technology – and more – has been transferred to the drone world.
One area of intense research in China has been the safety of quad-copters. For a drone with four propellers, the failure of one motor can be a big problem, typically resulting in lack of overall control and a crash. But, in what appears to be a truly spectacular achievement, researchers at China’s Beihang University designed an algorithm to stabilize a drone and keep it flying autonomously even after three rotors suddenly fail.[39] The research findings appeared in the international journal IEEE Transactions on Robotics, where a quadcopter demonstrated its ability to maintain safe flight even when faced with one, two or three rotor failures. To my knowledge, no other country can claim such a remarkable achievement.
Some New Kinds of Drones
Prosperity – Air Taxi
AutoFlight’s Prosperity air taxi based in Shanghai. Source.
This is another version of a Chinese pilotless air taxi; this Shanghai- based eVTOL has a maximum takeoff weight of two tons and can accommodate five passengers. The aircraft demonstrated its utility on demonstration flights between Shenzhen and Zhuhai, shortening a 3-hour ground journey to only 20 minutes.[40] This model was delivered to an operator in Japan.
Changchun – Emergency Uses
A new type of drone with two pairs of fixed wings and multiple rotors (Xinhua). Source.
Chinese researchers in Changchun have developed a new type of drone designed with two pairs of fixed wings and multiple rotors. This bi-wing, multi-rotor aircraft is small and light-weight, has a flight endurance of up to 12 hours, and can reach an altitude of 5,500 meters. It was designed to achieve rapid vertical takeoff and landing, and to have a high resistance to prevailing winds. It is meant for use in emergency rescue, power inspection, surveying and mapping. [41]
An HH-100 commercial unmanned cargo plane. [Photo/Xinhua]. Source.
It isn’t only taxis that are taking to the skies; trucks are doing the same. Developed by AVIC Xi’an Aircraft in Shaanxi, HH-100 is the latest freight drone model to have emerged from China’s flourishing express delivery industry and the government’s efforts to make full use of China’s low-altitude airspace. Versions of this aircraft can carry up to 2 metric tons up to 2,000 Kms. at 300 Kms/hr., and a ceiling altitude of 5,000 meters. Nearly all of China’s large couriers, including China Post and SF Express, as well as online retailing giant JD have been investing in delivery drones for many years, hoping to take advantage of the country’s expertise in drone systems to build affordable, high-efficiency fleets of drones to service time-sensitive consumers. [42]
Mind-Controlled Drones
A researcher wearing a special hood with 14 sensors adjusts the rear-vision mirror with her mind. [Photo/Xinhua]. Source.
According to the UK Telegraph, you can “forget driverless cars” because you may soon be driving a mind-controlled auto. The Telegraph and Reuters noted that Chinese engineers developed a system that can read brain signals and control a car accordingly. The technology could drive a car forward, reverse, brake, lock or unlock doors and adjust the mirrors without the need for any physical controls. [43]
In 2014, researchers at Nankai University in Tianjin developed a car with a working brain-control unit, with sensors that captured brain signals permitting humans to control an automobile with their minds. Chinese scientists believe brain-computer interaction will eventually be the highest form of human-machine communication.China has developed this process much farther than any Western nation and holding nearly 100 patents.[44][45][46]
China was the only country to have achieved this – a worldwide first, and this was long before all the present hype about Elon Musk’s Neuralink. Other countries had succeeded in brief experiments with drones, but no one had achieved what the Chinese had done, which was to control an entire automobile purely with the mind.I haven’t heard much about this breakthrough since, but we can be sure the Chinese researchers have not been sitting on their hands for the past 10 years. Also, in 2016 China launched a fully-operational space lab to conduct the first ever brain-machine interaction experiments in space. Drones were not mentioned in the mind-control context but, if you can control a car, a drone would be child’s play.The potential ramifications are staggering. I will raise this again in a following paragraph.
Quantum Key Distribution With Drones
Chinese scientists have performed quantum experiments at different distances ranging from urban to intercity and intercontinental, and also between an earth and satellites in space. They have now achieved a breakthrough by communicating quantum transfers with a drone. Chinese researchers achieved a global first by completing a quantum key distribution (QKD) experiment based on a drone platform, proving they can now communicate in quantum fashion with moving drones.[47] The implications are not difficult to imagine.
Soft Drone Grippers
This is a strange thing. A team of Chinese engineers developed a new class of biomimetic tools which could have very wide-ranging applications (and implications). They apparently adopted the biological technology of tendril plants – which are able to grip almost anything and climb structures such as buildings. In combination with the extreme controllability of some small drones, the researchers adapted the biometric tools to such a high level of delicacy and sophistication that a small drone can retrieve a key hanging from a branch hidden among the tangled inner branches of a tree. [48]
And Smuggling, too . . .
Police in China’s Inner Mongolia Region arrested a gang that used drones to smuggle gold into China. They flew their drone into Russia, loaded it with about 20 Kgs. of gold (nearly 50 pounds), then back to China, using unmonitored sections of the border. [49]
Military
Submarine-Launched Drone
Military drone that swims and flies equally well. Source.
China has revealed a version of a submarine drone that can both swim and fly, moving seamlessly between air and water. This innovation is a world’s first. No other nation has achieved such a feat, one that breaks the barriers of current drone technology. [50] The remarkably stable transition between air and water requires only 5 seconds, and is done without human intervention. Observers have commented that “China has completely taken over the drone sector”.[51]
It should be noted that while this drone may have military applications, the potential for civilian use is extensive. Some of China’s other drones, like the Wing Long, which were developed for military uses, have been very effectively deployed in disaster relief roles, maintaining signal transmission for mobile networks. They have been deployed carrying cameras and sensors to detect and monitor forest fires and to find people and ships in distress at sea, providing communication signals and delivering life buoys. These drones also have world-class weather modification technology, and can remain airborne for up to 14 hours with a flight capacity of more than 5,000 kilometers.
China’s “Swarm Carrier”
Jetank heavy unmanned drone y at Airshow China 2024. Photo: Liu Xuanzun/GT. Source.
China has showcased for the first time the Jetank heavy unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The heavy jet-powered drone has a maximum takeoff weight of 16 tons, a maximum payload of six tons which can be smaller drones, earning it the nickname “swarm carrier”. It contains very advanced radar systems and electro-optical pods, which would provide outstanding situational awareness and remote-control capability via satellite link. The drone contains what is termed an “isomerism hive module” which means it can house many dozens of smaller drones that can form swarms in the air for different missions. [52]
China’s Type-076 Drone Carrier
Hidden away in a shipyard on the Yangtze is a new aircraft carrier whose mere existence has not been reported before. Only China can build an aircraft carrier in relative secrecy. This ship is surrounded by mystery. China has built the world’s first dedicated drone carrier. … many of the circumstances surrounding it remain a mystery. It is unusual in every respect. It is the first drone carrier in the world, so it is not mimicking any known Western ship. [53]
China is on the cusp of unveiling a revolutionary naval vessel; everyone agrees on one thing: the Type-076 is unlike anything the world has ever seen. As the first of its kind, this mysterious vessel is expected to not only reshape naval power dynamics but also challenge the strategic planning of other Indo-Pacific nations. Satellite images revealed a shocking discovery: China’s secret aircraft carrier [is] designed explicitly for fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Its ability to deploy advanced UAVs for a range of operations makes it unlike any naval vessel that currently exists. [54]
Composite Military Scenario
Let’s assemble elements of some of these Chinese innovations:
(a) The silence, range and payload of small Chinese drones
(b) The extreme programmability of small drones as seen in the light shows
(c) The delicacy and controllability evidenced by plucking a key from an inner tree branch
(d) The ability of the Swarm Carrier to contain many small drones
And combine them in a military context. Imagine an aircraft carrier still far off but heading for China’s shores. Now imagine several Swarm Carriers approaching that ship and releasing multiple swarms of small drones, each carrying 5 to 10 Kgs. of high explosive (approximately the amount in a large tank shell). Released from a safe distance, those small drones could easily destroy every aircraft on both decks of the ship, leaving the aircraft carrier as a huge, useless, piece of floating junk. And there is no defense against this. You cannot shoot down 300 small drones approaching at high speed from 300 different directions, all at the same time.
Submarines anywhere near the surface could easily suffer a similar fate. China’s submarine drones could be launched from the same Swarm Carriers, submerge, and either breach the hull of the submarine, sending it to the bottom, or disabling its propellers and navigation planes, leaving it dead in the water. Again, no defense is possible. Now, imagine all this combined with the mind control which is proven to function. And what do you have?
America’s Best – Google Wing
Google’s Wing launches drone delivery (more or less). Source.
You may think this is a joke, but it’s not a joke. This is the famous Google delivery drone drawing praise from Americans everywhere. For a drone, this aircraft is humungous, with a length of more than 4 ft and a wingspan of 5 ft, roughly 1.2 by 1.5 meters. It has 16 propellers and can carry a delivery load of two pounds, less than 1 Kg. It is so pathetic that Google has to send two drones to make a hamburger delivery. Interestingly, it was apparently only through customer feedback that Google realized its drone was virtually useless due to its nearly non-existent carrying capacity. [55]
But all is not lost. Google’s innovative engineers developed a new model that can carry 5 pounds, a little more than 2 Kgs. China’s little helicopter drones are 80% smaller and can carry ten times as much. Google’s Wing drone can make a 10-mile round trip, while China’s drones can travel 50 Kms. out to sea and return safely. Moreover, Google’s drone is so loud that it mostly attracts complaints from the noise, while Chinese engineers spent years designing rotors for noise abatement.
But according to one fawning website, “The technology behind the Wing drone is awesome, and that’s putting it mildly. Backed by the power of Google, the Wing is forging a new frontier in drone use cases.”[56]This assessment would seem to be a bit over-stated.
Flying Magazine used to be the ethical and factual standard for the light aviation industry, and so refreshingly non-political. It is such a disappointment to see how far downhill they have gone. Flying told us “The suburbs of Dallas are buzzing” from all the excitement “of a new technology”. [57] They also praised the Google drones’ “hardware and architecture”, noting that this magnificent creation “maintains its speed and range”, but “doubles the payload to 5 pounds”. [58] Honestly, I couldn’t stop laughing. WHO – in their right mind – would put into production a “delivery drone” with a useful load of only two pounds?
America’s Best – US Military
The US military is not better than the civilian sector. Xinhua quoted a Pentagon memo stating that the US “has faced difficulties trying to develop cost-effective devices with no Chinese technology involved”. [59] The Financial Times wrote in an article that camera drones developed by the Pentagon were (very much) “more expensive” and “less capable” than the Chinese counterparts “they were designed to replace”. More specifically, the articles stated that the American-designed products cost between “eight and 14 times more”, while the capabilities were “reduced by 95%” (compared to the Chinese drones they previously purchased), and no “domestic alternatives” existed. [60]
Maybe the Pentagon could partner with Google.
Epilogue
A dazzling display: China’s record-breaking drone spectacle with over 10,000 drones. Source
In the US and Western nations there exist some negative aspects to this low-altitude economy, following the same pattern we have seen with EVs and AI. The first is a nearly total vacuum of vision and leadership. The federal governments of the US, Canada, and Europe seem almost oblivious to these technical revolutions. They may allot (usually small) research grants to various groups, but nothing more, leaving a revolutionary new industry to develop in the most haphazard manner. Trump proposes to throw $500 billion into the Stargate AI project, which will enrich only the owners of OpenAI, Nvidia, and perhaps a few other companies. There has absolutely been no thought expressed about any positive or negative effects on society or the nation, and definitely nothing about the welfare or benefit of the people.
In such an environment bereft of leadership, the only individuals to plunge into these new areas are “investors” whose only interest is in finding a way to profit from new technology. These individuals have no concern about social or national implications, and couldn’t care less about “benefits to humanity”. This is so true that in nearly all US newscasts on EVs, AI, the low-altitude economy and similar areas, the conversation quickly shifts to the stock prices and earnings potential of the few major participants, as if this were all that mattered.
Contrast this with the condition obtaining in China, where the national government, years ahead of anyone else, sees the future approaching, evaluates the effects of that future, determines the best development path to avoid troubles and to benefit the entire nation to the maximum possible. These form the entire context of Chinese news broadcasts; in all discussions of autonomous air taxis and the potential uses of small drones, the stock prices of the participants never arises. The entire focus is on the national good, on the benefits to society and to all Chinese people, not on the profitability of an Alibaba or an E-Hang.
This is the difference between the perverted brand of capitalism extant in the US, and the socialism extant in China. In the US, if OpenAI, Nvidia, Microsoft and Apple are making huge profits, the government and media boast that the sectors are “thriving”. Everyone in the country may be homeless and starving, but so long as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are making billions, the American world is in order. In China, it is the opposite.
Items like EVs, AI, and drones are not mere economic sectors, but instead are emerging revolutions that embody the potential for innovative urban development and untold benefits for a population. The Chinese government was very correct in believing that these industries create a “transformative landscape” where technology, infrastructure, and urban development converge, with untold benefits for the population.
As with electric vehicles (EVs), China’s development of this low-altitude economy was neither sudden nor accidental. The Chinese government was fully aware of this revolutionary possibility many years ago, and invested considerable resources in its planning and execution for a decade or more. That is why China, much more than the US or other Western countries, in the forefront of this new transportation and social revolution. The same scenario is being played out with drones as with EVs.
The world seemed to not notice while Chinese cities, governments, and industries were for the past decade sponsoring intense research and development efforts, and holding national and international conferences, forums, and seminars on all the issues involving drones. Some Westerners complain today that China seems to control the supply chain for EVs, batteries, small drones, solar energy, 5G Internet, and much else, as if thinking and planning were somehow a sin. The Chinese look to the future, anticipate how things will be, and adjust their planning accordingly.
A Chinese company created the only true 5G network equipment in the world, and the US banned it. China made awesome mobile phones and the US banned them. China made fantastic and inexpensive EV cars and the US banned them. China makes the best small drones in the world, so the US banned them. China created one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, and the US banned it. A Chinese company produced an amazing and inexpensive AI model, and the US was immediately proposing to ban it. It is a certainty the same response will occur with China’s autonomous air taxis. “If you can’t defeat them, discredit them. If that doesn’t work, raise national security concerns, and if even that fails, then just go ahead and ban them.” [61]
It’s even worse than this, because for a low-altitude economy to genuinely evolve to its maximum potential, a high-speed communications system is crucial. But the US doesn’t have it now, and will not likely ever have. Low-altitude vehicles need true, real 5G-A, not the pitifully-tweaked 4G that the US and Western nations market as “5G”. Huawei was the only potential supplier of true 5G networks but was excluded from the English-speaking nations. The US deprived its entire population and all its industries of the benefits of 5-G, to protect its “Five Eyes” espionage network, and to obtain the satisfaction of “hindering China”. [62] You can’t be more stupid than that. This likely means that the West cannot ever fully engage in this low-altitude economy because the necessary supporting infrastructure is lacking. And it isn’t only 5-G, but China is already well-advanced in developing the far superior 6-G, and is setting the standards for it.
There is a final matter which I will deal with in detail in an essay soon to be published on China’s EVs. And this is the sad thought that this entire industry could have begun evolving 50 years earlier if the US had not so effectively killed electric cars and railways. The reason is that battery research and development were effectively put on hold and buried for about 100 years. There is no way to know how far things would have progressed, if not for that travesty. For many reasons I will explain, it was a crime against all of humanity with a level of damage and loss that is incalculable.
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Mr. Romanoff’s writing has been translated into 34 languages and his articles posted on more than 150 foreign-language news and politics websites in more than 30 countries, as well as more than 100 English language platforms. Larry Romanoff is a retired management consultant and businessman. He has held senior executive positions in international consulting firms, and owned an international import-export business. He has been a visiting professor at Shanghai’s Fudan University, presenting case studies in international affairs to senior EMBA classes. Mr. Romanoff lives in Shanghai and is currently writing a series of ten books generally related to China and the West. He is one of the contributing authors to Cynthia McKinney’s new anthology ‘When China Sneezes’. (Chap. 2 — Dealing with Demons).
His full archive can be seen at
https://www.bluemoonofshanghai.com/ + https://www.moonofshanghai.com/
He can be contacted at: 2186604556@qq.com
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APPENDICES
NOTE: For the Douyin videos, if you receive a pop-up in the center of the screen, click the ‘x’ on the top right corner of the box. It will disappear and the video will play. Douyin videos normally load with the volume off, so please adjust.
Flying Car Videos
Flying car video (1-minute video)
https://www.douyin.com/video/7462305038581435706
Flying car video (40-second video)
https://www.douyin.com/video/7364326082587266367
E-Hang video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hLhpi54kps
XPeng X2 in Dubai
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTNuNt6VmZg
World’s First Flying Car – XPeng X2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS3qKP_4zes
Chinese flying car – first review
XPeng X2 – Two-Seater eVTOL Flying Car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa3GIosTroA&t=21s
X2 Takes OFF for the First Time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AA2yaS1h1s
China’s Electric Flying Car Is finally Available
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQIKIXojHPg
———————-
Brief Drone Videos
Thousands of drones ready to take off (1-minute video)
https://www.douyin.com/video/7464779283399986495
Dazzling drone light show staged in Fuzhou (1-minute video)
http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0716/c90000-9873085.html
A mesmerizing light show featuring 2,024 drones in Wuhu (30-second video)
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0910/c90000-20217487.html
Dazzling drone light show illuminates night sky in Jiangsu. (30-second video)
http://en.people.cn/n3/2023/0717/c90000-20045350.html
Fantastic: drones re-forming to make different pictures (2-minute video)
https://www.douyin.com/video/7466636371659164966
Drone swarms; Pretty and informative. Must watch. (4-minute video)
http://en.people.cn/n3/2022/0711/c90000-10121364.html
China’s National Day. An extraordinary light show featuring 10,200 drones above Shenzhen Bay. (30-second video)
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0930/c90000-20225561.html
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NOTES
[1a] World’s first unmanned flying taxi goes on sale
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0322/c90000-20148131.html
[1b] XPeng AeroHT Voyager X2 (production model)
https://evtol.news/xpeng-voyager-x2
[1] China’s low-altitude economy: A transformative force
https://govt.chinadaily.com.cn/s/202501/06/WS677b4472498eec7e1f72c72f/chinas-low-altitude-economy-a-transformative-force.html
[2] China’s Futuristic Industries
https://www.china-briefing.com/news/chinas-futuristic-industries-investment-prospects-in-the-emerging-low-altitude-economy/
[3] Chinese cities speed up low-altitude economy, a new force driving development
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0612/c90000-20180636.html
[4] Nation’s low-altitude industry development shifts into high gear
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202411/1323159.shtml
[5] China’s top economic planner sets up department to boost low-altitude economy
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-12-28/New-department-set-up-to-boost-low-altitude-economy-in-China-1zHuQdKpp9S/p.html
[6] Low-altitude economy set to take off
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202404/09/WS6614977da31082fc043c0e2b.html
[7] China’s low-altitude economy expected to reach 1 trillion yuan in market size in 2025
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202501/1327231.shtml
[8] China has 1.27 million registered drones in 2023, supported by leading manufacturing capability
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0330/c90000-20151535.html
[9] China Focus: Chinese scientists fuel low-altitude economy with sparkling innovations
https://english.news.cn/20250121/06bb4bb65d66426fb879975a2a49f0a5/c.html
[10] China’s low-altitude economy soars at high speed
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202412/19/WS6763b8b7a310f1265a1d3d24.html
[11] China has 1.27 million registered drones in 2023, supported by leading manufacturing capability
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0330/c90000-20151535.html
[12] Largest drone-testing airspace in N China approved to bolster emerging economy
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/1202/c90000-20248657.html
[13] Eye in sky nets big fame for village
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0613/c90000-20181041.html
[14] Sound infrastructure and technical capacity
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/1223/c90000-20257324.html
[15] China publishes first mandatory national standard for civil drone industry
http://en.people.cn/n3/2023/0603/c90000-20027324.html
[16] China issues provisional regulations for drones
http://en.people.cn/n3/2023/0629/c90000-20037463.html
[17]
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/1206/c90000-20250887.html
[18] Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei low-altitude economy industry alliance established
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0819/c90000-20207340.html
[19] China sees rising demand for drone pilots
http://en.people.cn/n3/2023/0720/c90000-20047001.html
[20] Surge in demand for drone pilot certificates brought by booming low-altitude economy
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/1127/c90000-20247256.html
[21] China has 1.27 million registered drones in 2023, supported by leading manufacturing capability
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0330/c90000-20151535.html
[22] EH216-F (Firefighting Model) pilotless aerial vehicle
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0516/c90000-20170470.html
[23] Drones utilized to enhance quality, efficiency at grassroots power grids in northwest China
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0625/c90000-20185349.html
[24] Drone Inspections
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-07/Chinese-cities-accelerate-low-altitude-economy-s-growth-1wHTcueSioU/p.html
[25] Drone used to install solar panels
http://en.people.cn/n3/2023/1226/c90000-20115143.html
[26] Drones deliver supplies to troops in drill (2)
http://en.people.cn/n3/2020/1228/c90000-9803702-2.html
[27] Drones soar into wider application in China
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0718/c90000-20195259.html
[28] China sees rising demand for drone pilots
http://en.people.cn/n3/2023/0720/c90000-20047001.html
[29] Drone delivery route for seafood put into operation in Shenzhen
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0207/c90000-20131864.html
[30] Residents in Shanghai’s Yangpu District get home deliveries via drones
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0110/c90000-20120387.html
[31] Drones transport navel oranges in Zigui, C China’s Hubei
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0515/c90000-20169872.html
[32] Drones soar into wider application in China
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0718/c90000-20195259.html
[33] Low-altitude economy taking off across country
https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202406/20/WS667387ada31095c51c509dc3.html
[34 China’s low-altitude economy soars at high speed
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202412/19/WS6763b8b7a310f1265a1d3d24.html
[35] DJI drones to be used for waste collection on mountains inside Nepal
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0805/c90000-20202119.html
[36] DJI makes world’s 1st successful drone delivery tests on Mt. Qomolangma
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0605/c90000-20178181.html
[37] China’s agri-tech industry abuzz as agricultural drones facilitate domestic proliferation of smart farming
http://en.people.cn/n3/2022/0701/c90000-10117605.html
[38] Drone light performances. Dazzling drone performances reflect China’s economic vitality
http://en.people.cn/n3/2023/0216/c90000-10208673.html
[39] Chinese university tackles rotor failure in drones with algorithm
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0117/c90000-20123127.html
[40] Shanghai company completes world’s first delivery of ‘air taxi’
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202404/02/WS660bb677a31082fc043c005d.html
[41] A new type of drone with two pairs of fixed wings and multiple rotors
http://en.people.cn/n3/2023/1124/c90000-20101898.html
[42] New delivery drone close to first flight
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202404/08/WS6613439ba31082fc043c0a51.html
[43] Mind-controlled car unveiled in China
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/12040216/Mind-controlled-cars-unveiled-in-China.html
[44] Brain-controlled car developed by Nankai University
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/////2014-07/08/content_17672148_5.htm
[45] Chinese researchers from Nankai University shows off mind-controlled car
https://umatechnology.org/chinese-researchers-from-nankai-university-shows-off-mind-controlled-car/
[46] Chinese Researchers Just Made a Brain-Controlled Car
Researchers in Tianjin, China have created the first-ever mind-controlled car driven only by thoughts.
https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/chinese-researchers-just-made-a-brain-controlled-car
[47] Chinese team accomplishes world’s first quantum encryption experiment on drone
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/1119/c90000-20244498.html
[48] Engineers develop soft drone grippers inspired by climbing plants
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0513/c90000-20169017.html
[49] China busts gang that uses drone to smuggle gold
http://en.people.cn/n3/2023/0503/c90000-20013762.html
[50] Military drone that swims and flies equally well.
https://www.douyin.com/video/7468224353017023794
[51] Underwater air drones
https://www.douyin.com/video/7468224353017023794
[52] Large aircraft to carry smaller drones in long-distance missions
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202411/1323238.shtml
[53] China Builds World’s First Dedicated Drone Carrier
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/05/china-builds-worlds-first-dedicated-drone-carrier/
[54] China’s Type-076 Drone Carrier
https://theasialive.com/chinas-type-076-drone-carrier-redefining-naval-warfare-in-indo-pacific/2024/09/24
[55] Google’s Wing launches drone delivery (more or less).
https://edition.cnn.com/videos/business/2019/04/09/wing-google-drone-delivery-australia-orig.cnn-business
[56] Introducing the New and Improved Google Wing Drone
https://www.droneblog.com/introducing-the-new-and-improved-google-wing-drone/
[57] How It’s Delivered: Wing Gives Us a Glimpse of a Future with Drone Delivery
https://www.flyingmag.com/how-its-delivered-wing-gives-us-a-glimpse-of-a-future-with-drone-delivery/
[58] Google’s Wing Introduces New Delivery Drone with Double the Payload
https://www.flyingmag.com/googles-wing-introduces-new-delivery-drone-with-double-the-payload/
[59] Pentagon drones less cost-effective than prohibited Chinese craft: media
http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0721/c90000-9875061.html
[60] Pentagon drones ‘8 to 14 times’ costlier than banned Chinese craft
https://www.ft.com/content/dd2e936e-5934-49f1-8aa6-29dea9a41b18
[61] Indian News Anchor
https://www.douyin.com/video/7465599297011174710
[62] Huawei, Tik-Tok and WeChat
https://www.bluemoonofshanghai.com/politics/4059/
*
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Copyright © Larry Romanoff, Blue Moon of Shanghai, Moon of Shanghai, 2025
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