Game of Drones crashes into US national security
Chinese group DJI launches court battle in Washington after denying alleged military links to Beijing
A high-security Game of Drones will play out in the American courts amid growing tension between the world’s two technological giants, China and the United States.
Last week, Chinese commercial drone manufacturer DJI filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Defense in Washington. The move came after it was included in a list of firms allegedly working with Beijing’s military or the People’s Liberation Army.
The Shenzhen-based tech group is considered a national security risk by the Pentagon. A ban in the US would threaten its massive market share.
“[The decision is the latest by a Chinese company] to weaponize US legal frameworks to undermine national security,” Craig Singleton, of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said as reported by Politico.
“Ultimately, this lawsuit is a dead-end for DJI,” he added.
DJI should firmly defend its legitimate interests.
Li Haidong of the China Foreign Affairs University
Flying high or grounded?
- DJI is the world’s biggest drone maker, with a 70% share of global markets.
- In the US, it has more than 50% of sales and would take a huge hit if banned.
- Last month, the US House of Representatives voted to bar new drones from DJI operating in the world’s largest economy.
Delve deeper: At the weekend, the company issued the following statement, “After attempting to engage with the DoD for more than sixteen months, DJI determined it had no alternative other than to seek relief in federal court.”
Between the lines: Earlier, DJI said the Department of Defense’s “unlawful decision” had “lost business deals” after it was “stigmatized as a national security threat and been banned from contracting with government agencies.”
Big picture: China’s state-run Global Times responded in typical fashion. “DJI, together with other Chinese companies, should firmly defend its legitimate interests [in the US],” Li Haidong, of the China Foreign Affairs University, told the tabloid.
China Factor comment: A 2022 Washington Post report highlighted DJI links to state funding. Claims it denied. Yet the 1993 Company Law requires firms in China “to allow units to ‘carry out the activities of the ruling Communist Party.’”