Authorities from Guangdong, Macao and Hong Kong have released a comprehensive policy package aimed at positioning the Greater Bay Area (GBA) as a leader in China’s low-altitude economy, an emerging sector encompassing drones and other low-altitude aircraft, Info Guangdong reports.
The announcement was made at a conference in Guangzhou on 25 December, and signals a more coordinated push supporting regulation, industry growth and cross-border cooperation in the emerging aviation sector.
The new policies set out a regulatory and industrial roadmap, including a plan to reform low-altitude airspace management in Guangdong, a blueprint for unified infrastructure development, 12 targeted financial support measures and four new provincial-level technical standards.
The event also saw Guangdong launch an integrated low-altitude flight management platform, with Guangzhou introducing its own municipal-level system. The moves support the industry’s developing physical and digital infrastructure.
[See more: Dongguan unveils ambitious plans for development of a ‘low-altitude economy’]
Guangdong province already hosts around 15,000 companies across the low-altitude economy value chain, accounting for about 30 percent of China’s total, according to Info Guangdong. The province produced almost 700,000 civilian drones in 2024, with the sector’s industrial scale now exceeding 100 billion yuan.
Representatives from Macao and Hong Kong at the conference noted that their regions’ international connectivity, tourism and high-end services complemented Guangdong’s manufacturing and technological capabilities.
The event also featured product showcases by companies including DJI, EHang, Xpeng AeroHT and XAG, alongside the launch of new provincial testing platforms and a roundtable discussion on safety, regulation and commercial applications in the low-altitude economy.
