China's first seven-ton cargo drone, the Changying-8, boasts strong capacities across a wide range of application scenarios, according to its developer.
The drone completed its maiden flight successfully on Tuesday in Zhengzhou City, central China's Henan Province. Northern Changying UAV Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China North Industries Group Corporation (NORINCO), developed the drone independently.
It is the world's largest cargo drone to have successfully completed a maiden flight.
Experts say that low-altitude logistics in China currently relies primarily on small, lightweight drones, with a significant gap in the transport of large cargo on trunk routes and in heavy-load transfers on feeder routes.
The heavy-duty unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has filled the final piece of the puzzle in establishing comprehensive low-altitude logistics capacity across the entire "trunk-feeder-last-mile" network.
Cai Hangqing, chairman of Northern Changying UAV Technology, said they are redoubling efforts to market the drone.
"One of our strengths is that we are currently exploring future commercial applications with both domestic and international clients. Our end goal is to establish regular commercial transport routes and bring it to market as soon as possible," he said.
Cai said that the Changying-8 has three core target markets for the future, namely domestic regional e-commerce logistics, bulk goods distribution in county-level urban and rural areas, and trunk-line transshipment for fresh produce and cold-chain logistics; routine supply of daily necessities and infrastructure materials to high-altitude regions, islands, and remote mountainous areas; national emergency support sectors such as emergency rescue, emergency medical aid, and flood control and disaster relief.
Through modular replacement, the drone's engines can be quickly swapped out to meet the demands of different scenarios.
"The upper section features a modular pod. This design is primarily intended to allow us to swap out the engine for different models or configurations in the future by simply replacing the engine unit itself. With an operational range of 800 to 1,500 kilometers, it can operate continuously 24/7," said Cai.
China unveils first 7-tonne logistics drone for diverse industry use
Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya's consistent provocations on Taiwan-related issues have severely violated the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, and China's countermeasures is a just act against the "new militarism" ideology, a scholar on China-Japan relations said in Beijing on Tuesday.
China on Monday announced countermeasures against Keiji Furuya, member of Japan's House of Representatives, for his collusion with Taiwan secessionist forces and other egregious moves, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning. The punitive countermeasures against Furuya are a means of deterrence and warning, and China will also take other necessary punitive measures in light of the situation, according to Mao.
Furuya has made a number of sneaky visits to China's Taiwan region, and at a forum there on March 16, he provocatively declared "Japan's determination to protect Taiwan" and even claimed that "changes in Taiwan cannot be allowed to happen."
In an interview with China Central Television on Tuesday, Meng Xiaoxu, a research fellow at the Institute of Japanese Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Furuya's moves are a direct challenge to established diplomatic norms.
"The speech he made in Taiwan was actually to defend [Japanese Prime Minister Sanae] Takaichi's erroneous remarks concerning Taiwan. He also mentioned the issue of so-called 'military exchanges' between Japan and Taiwan, which apparently goes against the basic consensus on the one-China principle in China-Japan relations," said Meng.
Furuya has served as the chairman of the Japanese Diet Members' Consultative Council with Taiwan since 2018, an organization known for its strong pro-Taiwan secession leanings.
"This council was actually an organization set up in 1973 by some pro-Taiwan elements in Japan after the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations in 1972. Its main purpose was to maintain contact with Taiwan secessionists through alternative channels. Especially after Keiji Furuya became its chairman, the frequency and scale of the organization's visits to Taiwan have exceeded historical levels," said Meng.
Furuya is widely regarded as one of Sanae Takaichi's core aides. Last October, he was appointed chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's Election Strategy Committee, responsible for election strategy affairs. Throughout his political career, Furuya has also repeatedly visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 Class-A World War II criminals.
"Keiji Furuya frequently visits the Yasukuni Shrine, and when he visits the Yasukuni Shrine, he never forgets to mention the Taiwan issue. In fact, he is Takaichi's spokesperson and major promoter on the Taiwan issue. He represents Japan's far-right-wing forces, the idea of 'using Taiwan to contain China' is deeply rooted in his mind. We indeed should take resolute measures to counter it. A major reason for the current downturn in China-Japan relations is Takaichi's erroneous remarks concerning Taiwan, and Japan's current collusion with Taiwan, who not only collude but also make provocations. It is Japan that has deviated from the political foundation of China-Japan relations and continuously provoked China's national interests. The historical revisionism led by the Japanese government is getting rampant throughout the country, leading to the current prevalence of 'new militarism' ideology, which is very dangerous," said Meng.
Chinese scholar justifies countermeasures against Japanese lawmaker
