From November 15, it is illegal to own, store or bring a drone or its core parts anywhere in Beijing, according to DroneXL, citing Article 3 of the Beijing Municipal Regulations on Unmanned Aircraft, revised September 11. Individuals face confiscation and a fine of 500 to 5,000 yuan.
Bringing drones into the city has been banned since May 1, under an April 27 Beijing Public Security Bureau notice that covers visitors arriving by high-speed rail, bus, plane or car, and passengers transferring through. Flying a drone carries a fine of 1,000 to 10,000 yuan.
DroneXL says an open question remains: neither the regulation nor the police notice explains whether declaring a drone at the airport changes the outcome, or whether officers hold it until departure.
Separately, from November 18, Chinese exporters will need a licence for heavy-lift drone motors, their speed controllers and large carbon-fibre propellers, DroneXL reported. The list was published by the Ministry of Commerce together with the Central Military Commission’s equipment department.
Taken together, the rules treat cheap drones as a security risk at home and a controlled product abroad, which will matter to travellers, hobbyists and drone supply chains alike.
Source: DroneXL
