A visitor (right) experiences a helicopter simulator from CITIC Offshore Helicopter Co Ltd during the China International Consumer Products Expo 2025 in Haikou, Hainan province, in April. [LUO YUNFEI/CHINA NEWS SERVICE]
Beijing: China’s low-altitude economy, a strategic emerging sector that is key to developing new quality productive forces, has captured the imagination of the country’s tropical island of Hainan province, which is aiming to become a key base for the innovative development of the low-altitude sector.
Hainan, relying on its unique geographical environment, multiple application scenarios for low-altitude aircraft and the advantages of Hainan Free Trade Port, plans to comprehensively promote the low-altitude economy by introducing more enterprises and expanding application scenarios and business formats, the local government said.
So far this year, the province has launched 36 projects, with a total investment value of 29.4 billion yuan or about US$4bil, covering the entire industry chain, including aircraft research and development, smart logistics and high-end tourism.
“The local government has issued a three-year development plan from 2024 to 2026 to boost the growth of the low-altitude economy, and it is preparing a series of other documents to help promote the growth of the sector,” said Jiang Hong, deputy director of the Hainan Provincial Development and Reform Commission.
During the China International Consumer Products Expo 2025 that concluded on April 18 in Haikou, eight cooperation projects related to the low-altitude sector were signed, and they involved manufacturing, technological research and development, and applications.
The projects include the building of a heavy-duty unmanned helicopter assembly production line in Wenchang, and the building of a marine drone maintenance and support base in Ledong.
The sector’s growth has been closely intertwined with the support of favourable policies.
Late last year, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) set up a low-altitude department and its responsibilities include formulating and organising the implementation of low-altitude economic growth strategies, and making medium and long-term development plans.
Zheng Shanjie, head of the NDRC, recently hosted a special meeting on promoting the development of the sector and said the government will formulate relevant plans for the development of the low-altitude economy during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
He also clarified the need to coordinate the relationship between development and security, government and market, and current and long-term aspects.
The market size of China’s low-altitude economy is expected to total 1.5 trillion yuan this year, and is estimated to reach 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035, according to a projection by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. — China Daily/ANN
