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South China Morning Post
27-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's booming low-altitude economy spurs demand for ‘drone flight planners'
China has officially recognised 'drone flight planner' as a profession amid a talent crunch in the low-altitude economy – a sector the government sees as a new engine of growth. Advertisement The role is among 17 newly designated occupations announced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, alongside positions such as cross-border e-commerce operation manager and elderly care service worker. 'The newly designated profession of a drone flight planner primarily involves planning multi-drone flight paths, developing flight plans and missions, and managing operations on-site,' said Wang Xiaojun, deputy director of the ministry's Department of Vocational Capacity Building, according to the state-run Science and Technology Daily. 'These roles attract many tech-savvy and creative young people,' Wang added. Beijing has classified the low-altitude economy – encompassing manned and unmanned activities up to 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) – as a strategic emerging industry that is poised to create jobs, drive innovation and stimulate economic growth. Advertisement In December, China's top economic planner established a dedicated department to devise and oversee growth strategies in the sector.
South China Morning Post
18-07-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
China unveils new drone that takes off and lands on its tail like a rocket
China has unveiled a tail-sitter drone – which takes off and lands on its tail like a rocket – during a disaster rescue drill, according to state media. Advertisement In its debut, the new unmanned aerial vehicle's sensors and cameras were put to the test for reconnaissance and real-time situational awareness operations in a mountainous region of Sichuan province, the official Science and Technology Daily reported on Tuesday. The drone's Wenyao intelligent control system was also on show, with the drill demonstrating capabilities such as autonomous target allocation, automatic route planning, and automated threat avoidance – all of which could be vital when controlling a drone swarm. The drone launches vertically, transitions to a horizontal flight position, then switches back to vertical to land. Photo: Handout The drone – whose name was not disclosed – is what is known as a vertical take-off and landing aircraft. It launches vertically with its nose pointing up, transitions to a horizontal flight position, then switches back to vertical to land on its tail. With a wingspan of 2.6 metres (8.5 feet) and a length of 1.8 metres (5.9 feet), the UAV looks similar to the United States military's MQ-35 V-BAT drone, which has a single-engine ducted fan design. The design enables it to fly much faster than a quadcopter – a drone with four rotors – and nearly as fast as a fixed-wing drone. Its ability to take off and land vertically gives it flexibility in deployment and makes it easier to retrieve from remote or rugged areas since it does not need a runway, launcher or an arresting system for take-off and landing. Advertisement Its developer, state-owned Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG), a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), also makes stealth fighters and military drones such as the Wing Loong II.
South China Morning Post
03-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China rolls out record-setting turbine for Tibet hydropower plant
China is ready to install a large impulse turbine at the Datang Zala Hydropower Station in Tibet autonomous region , according to the official Science and Technology Daily. The home-grown turbine, with a maximum capacity of 500 megawatts, has the world's largest single-unit capacity, according to the report on Wednesday. Two turbines will be installed at the station. The 80-tonne turbine left its developer plant at Harbin Electric Machinery Company in northeast China on Wednesday after four years of design and testing. The Datang Zala Hydropower Station is located on the Yuqu River, a tributary of the Nu River, which flows from southwest China through Yunnan province to eastern Myanmar and empties into the Andaman Sea. The turbine is made of martensitic steel, a type of stainless steel known for its durability, strength and corrosion resistance. It has 21 water buckets and an outer diameter measuring 6.23 metres (20 feet). Science and Technology Daily called the turbine the 'heart' of the hydropower unit.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China unveils metrology plan to boost chip, quantum fields by 2030, beat US in tech
China has announced a five-year action plan aimed at driving disruptive innovation in metrology, the science of precise measurement. Released by the State Administration for Market Regulation, the 2030 plan prioritizes major breakthroughs in chip technology and quantum-scale measurement. A recent report in the ministry's Science and Technology Daily highlights that China's plan aims to address multiple 'pain points' in its metrology capabilities, focusing on areas where measurement technologies are lacking or require improvement. Metrology related to chips and rare earth magnets has become a key battleground in the US-China tech rivalry. While Washington tightens export controls on advanced chips over national security concerns, China is leveraging its dominance in rare earth metals by imposing its own export restrictions, the South China Morning Post writes. Precise and reliable measurements are essential for many industries, so expanding metrology capabilities is a strategic priority for both China and the US. China's recent action plan aims to achieve comprehensive improvements in basic metrology and secure key breakthroughs across more than 50 core metrology technologies by 2030. Designed to support China's 2021-2035 metrology development goals, the plan sets out to establish over 20 world-class metrology benchmarks and create at least 100 innovative devices and standardized materials. The plan aims to enhance various sectors including trade settlement, healthcare, environmental monitoring, climate change, disaster prevention, food safety, criminal justice, and maritime operations. The plan emphasizes advancing metrology research across several cutting-edge fields, including artificial intelligence, miniaturized sensing technologies, robotics, materials and additive manufacturing, measurement methods, comparison techniques, and the quantum-based reform and reproduction of the metric system. A key focus is the development of precision measurement and sensing devices that utilize quantum physics, such as quantum gyroscopes designed for navigation. To push the boundaries of precision measurement, China plans to develop advanced quantum metrology devices, including distributable reference instruments that surpass the limitations of traditional techniques. The initiative also expands research into chip-scale metrology, focusing on technologies such as nanoscale integrated circuits, neural network chip measurements, and on-chip frequency combs used to measure exact light frequencies. Moreover, the plan comes less than a year after CHIPS for America—a U.S. Department of Commerce office established under the 2022 Chips and Science Act to boost American leadership in semiconductor research and production—launched its own initiative to tackle metrology challenges. As semiconductor components continue to shrink and grow more complex, precise and reliable measurement has become increasingly vital to ensuring manufacturing quality and technological competitiveness, SCMP adds. Furthermore, the 2030 plan includes advancing metrology for rare earth magnets—powerful materials made from elements largely mined and processed in China. Beijing recently added seven of these elements to its export control list, following new U.S. tariffs. Rare earths are vital for electric vehicles, electronics, and defense, leaving countries like the U.S. heavily reliant on Chinese supply.
