China backs legitimate drone exports

China supports its companies to carry out international trade and cooperation in the civil drone sector, and firmly opposes the illegal use of civil drones for non-peaceful purposes, said the Ministry of Commerce on Thursday.

This approach not only helps fulfill international non-proliferation obligations, but also contributes to ensuring the safety and stability of global production and supply chains, said He Yadong, a ministry spokesman.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing in Beijing, He said that the Chinese government has always strictly controlled the export of all dual-use items, including drones, in accordance with laws and regulations.

The term "dual-use items" refers to goods, technologies and services that can be used for both civil and military purposes.

China's export control list of dual-use items, which took effect on Dec 1, aims to enhance the transparency and standardization of policies governing the export of dual-use items, according to the Commerce Ministry.

With a new administration due to take office in the United States next month, He said China's Ministry of Commerce has maintained close communication with the US Department of Commerce through the communication and exchange mechanism.

China is open to engaging with the new US government's economic and trade team, he added, stressing that China's position against unilateral tariff measures has been consistent.

China is willing to strengthen dialogue and coordination with the US, based on the principles of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence, properly manage differences and promote the steady and long-term growth of bilateral economic and trade relations, said He.

The US remained China's third largest trading partner between January and November, with bilateral trade value growing by 4.2 percent year-on-year to 4.4 trillion yuan ($605.7 billion), statistics from the General Administration of Customs showed.

As the US House of Representatives prepares to vote on a new defense bill to assist US telecommunications companies in removing and replacing equipment produced by Chinese companies Huawei Technologies Co and ZTE Corp, the Ministry of Commerce said the US claims that Chinese information and communication products pose a security risk to the US, but there is no factual basis for this.

China firmly opposes the US generalization of the concept of national security, violation of market economy principles and fair competition, and interference with normal economic and trade cooperation between Chinese and US companies, said He.

It would be beneficial for China to deepen cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union, enhancing the breadth and depth of regional economic cooperation, said Gao Lingyun, a researcher at the Institute of World Economics and Politics, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.

Participating in multilateral trade mechanisms helps counter the pressures of unilateralism by providing a platform for countries to collectively shape international trade rules and standards, he added.