Beijing residents dispose of drones ahead of ban on ownership

Kristine's brother had only owned his drone for a year when Beijing authorities announced drones would be banned in the capital.

Not just flying them, but also possessing and storing them.

Before the new rules take effect on November 15, drone owners must move their aircraft out of the capital or dispose of them through government-approved buyback and recycling programs.

Those who flout the rules will "face strong action", including confiscation and fines up to 5,000 yuan ($1,050).

Many people have been lining up at drone buyback sites, but some owners are getting back less than a quarter of the purchase price.

Kristine's brother decided to send his drone, which he bought for $2,000 last year, to her in Sydney rather than selling it at a loss.

"He's still quite reluctant to let it go, but because of this rule, he has no choice but to dispose of it," said Kristine, who wanted to use only her first name to protect her brother's safety in Beijing.

"[He thought] it would be nice if it could stay in the family. 

"If he gave it to me, I could let my kids play with it, and it would still serve some purpose."

Meanwhile, Beijing resident Matthew Zhang has sent his drone to his parents' home in nearby Tianjin and planned to travel there to use it whenever he needed it.

"It is definitely inconvenient, but at least I can still use it," said Mr Zhang, an aerial photographer.

'Security is the first priority'

Most of China's major cities have introduced civilian drone no-fly zones in sensitive areas including airports, military zones, core commercial districts, and government buildings.

But Beijing will be the only city in China to ban the ownership of drones.

The city had already banned unapproved outdoor drone flights in August 2025, but recently stepped up its security measures after a small plane crashed into Beijing's tallest building in June.

Announcing the possession ban in September, Beijing's government said it was intended to "firmly strengthen the capital's security defences".

The new regulation applied to all "unmanned aerial vehicles" and appeared to extend to radio-controlled model aircraft, toy drones, and toy flapping-wing aircraft.

Taobao is among several Chinese e-commerce platforms that have restricted drone purchases using a Beijing delivery address.

Hsiao-Huang Shu, a researcher at Taiwan's Institute for National Defence and Security Research, said it was "deeply ironic" that a city in the world's biggest consumer drone-making country was banning the ownership of drones.

He said Beijing had already developed counter-drone systems, including electronic jamming, electronic fences and measures to destroy them, such as lasers.

Dr Shu said that after the June incident, authorities might have decided to eliminate potential risks, including the possession of drones.

"They are using this opportunity to close the barn door after the horse has bolted," he said.

The ABC has approached the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.

Balancing innovation and control

China dominates the global drone industry.

According to data-gathering firm Statista, Chinese company DJI is the world's leading manufacturer of civil drones for commercial use, and China's drone industry generates the highest revenue when comparing global figures.

China had nearly 3.3 million registered civilian drones by the end of 2025, up 51 per cent from 2024, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

Drones are also the workhorses of China's low-altitude economy, delivering parcels and used in farming and tourism, and for emergency rescues.

CAAC forecasts the low-altitude economy to reach 3.5 trillion yuan (about $740 billion) by 2035.

In March, China underscored the "healthy and orderly" development of the industry in its 15th Five-Year Plan, the government's policy road map from 2026 to 2030.

Lizzi C. Lee, a fellow on the Chinese economy at the Asia Society Policy Institute based in Washington, DC, says the Beijing ban does not mean China is walking away from the low-altitude economy.

She said just days before Beijing's possession ban announcement, Shanghai had begun rolling out a new dedicated drone route, delivering food from a fast-food outlet to a popular waterfront park.

"The interesting story here is really the tension between encouraging innovation and controlling the risks that come with it," Dr Lee said, adding that the same tension was seen in the development of humanoid robots and autonomous driving.

She said other cities might not follow Beijing's lead. 

"I think we might see more compartmentalisation," she said.

"More scrutiny and controls in politically sensitive urban airspace, while manufacturing, R and D [research and development] and commercial deployment continue elsewhere," she said.