Demand for drone training surges in China as low-altitude economy booms

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The demand for drone trainings in China is rapidly increasing as the country's low-altitude economy flourishes.

Training sessions for non-commercial aircraft licenses, which allow civilians to legally operate drones, are highly sought after in Shanghai. Many drone enthusiasts are taking the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday season on October 1-8 as a favorable occasion to learn the techniques.

In 2023, Shanghai had only eight professional drone training institutions, but by 2024, that number surged to over 20.

"I used to fly small-sized drones which are lighter than the medium-sized ones. The requirements for operating such heavier drones, including controlling the center of gravity, are more stringent than before," said Hua Zhiyuan, a drone student undergoing training to fly medium-sized drones.

After getting trained in flying small-sized drones, Hua said, he will proceed to advance his skills, as he believes in the vast potential of drone technology.

"The application of drones is expanding across many sectors. Using drones for purposes such as transportation and integrating AI will be a more common issue in the future," Hua said.

The next step after training is to obtain certification approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

"It's just similar to getting a driving license. One involves driving, the other involves flying drones. There are also theory tests," said Wen Yifan, a drone student seeking certification for flying industrial drones for mapping purposes.

In China, there are approximately 1.9 million registered drones, yet there are only 225,000 licensed drone operators.

"For a profession, holding a certificate that complies with the Civil Aviation Administration requirements and relevant laws is a basic requirement, just like holding the driving license. In addition, there are techniques and skills that you need to master," said Chen Guangwen, founder of a drone training institution in Shanghai.

Demand for drone training surges in China as low-altitude economy booms

A Japanese lawmaker has raised concerns over Japan's push to expand its military and its nuclear policy.

Responding to some politicians' dangerous tendency towards possessing nuclear weapons, Takara Sachika, a member of Japan's House of Councilors, said that Japan's push to strengthen its military, combined with what she called a misguided nuclear policy, not only heightens regional tensions but also directly threatens regional security.

"I think this is completely unacceptable. Japan is a country that has suffered atomic bombings and is one of the nations most aware of the threat posed by nuclear weapons. Yet such a country is openly discussing the issue of possessing nuclear weapons and even attempting to revise the principle of not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons, one of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. This is an extremely serious problem," Takara said.

Takara said the Japanese government's tendency to expand its military capabilities is completely contrary to the Constitution.

"From the perspective of Japan's Constitution, Japan should never have adopted a policy of ensuring security by strengthening military capabilities. Yet today, enormous effort is being poured into military expansion, and that in itself is a serious problem," said the lawmaker.

At a Diet meeting in early November 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that what she described as the Chinese central authorities' "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and suggested the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, drawing strong criticism worldwide.

Takara urged Takaichi to retract her erroneous remarks as soon as possible.

"I think there is a very big problem with making such remarks that provoke other countries. It is necessary to thoroughly examine the facts as soon as possible and withdraw the relevant remarks," she said.

Japanese lawmaker criticizes nuclear weapons remarks as threat to regional security