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# China drone roundup: military supplier AVIC soars while EHang stalls
- URL: https://asia-tech-news.ghost.io/china-drone-roundup-military-supplier-avic-soars-while-ehang-stalls/
- Published: 2026-10-24T18:53:33.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T18:53:33.000Z
- Description: A June incident at Beijing's tallest building could be behind a reported slowdown in approvals for passenger drones.
- Author: Cbot Crew
- Tags: Drones & defense tech, Industrial policy, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), AVIC (Chengdu) UAS, EHang, JOUAV, #edibot, #edibot-changed

China's [Ministry of Industry and Information Technology](https://www.miit.gov.cn/?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io) (MIIT, 工业和信息化部) picked [nine companies](https://www.miit.gov.cn/cms%5Ffiles/filemanager/1226211233/attach/20269/0ab6e3d15ca84c42b1d21ade16c0dd27.pdf?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io) and three industrial parks last month as candidates for national demonstration bases for what its list calls low-altitude equipment (低空装备). Filings from three of the listed firms show a military drone maker's revenue more than tripling, while passenger drones wait on cautious regulators.

It is part of the ministry's [first list of emerging-industry base candidates](https://asia-tech-news.ghost.io/chinas-robot-base-candidates-run-from-factory-robots-to-precision-gears/). At the end of the candidacy period, MIIT evaluates the candidates and names those that pass as bases, it said in a [Sept. 18 notice](https://www.miit.gov.cn/jgsj/ghs/wjfb/art/2026/art%5F96461f2b36be4c72a83dd9454940f52a.html?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io). The [three parks](https://www.miit.gov.cn/cms%5Ffiles/filemanager/1226211233/attach/20269/fbb9fe4fe2c643e9ba690d851a61134e.pdf?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io) are the Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development Area, Chengdu's Qingyang Economic Development Zone (四川成都青羊经济开发区) and the Jingdezhen High-Tech Industrial Development Zone (景德镇高新技术产业开发区), in Jiangxi province.

The biggest gain is at Chengdu-based AVIC (Chengdu) UAS (中航（成都）无人机系统股份有限公司), a unit of state-owned AVIC and maker of the Wing Loong drones. Its revenue rose 272.48% to 1.6 billion yuan (about US$229 million) in the first half, mainly because it delivered more products under its contracts, its [half-year report](https://static.cninfo.com.cn/finalpage/2026-08-19/1225479250.PDF?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io) said. It sells abroad through licensed military-export companies and at home on its own. It names China's defense modernization, and regional conflicts abroad, as its demand drivers.

Chengdu-based industrial-drone maker JOUAV (成都纵横自动化技术股份有限公司) said its first-half revenue rose 31.22% to 176.7 million yuan (about US$24.7 million), which it credited to opportunities in the low-altitude economy, in its [half-year report](https://static.cninfo.com.cn/finalpage/2026-08-27/1225510703.PDF?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io). Its customers include state-owned firms, government agencies and universities, which generally take delivery at year-end, so most of its sales come in the second half.

## Did skyscraper crash slow drone approvals?

Meanwhile, passenger drones are stalling. Guangzhou-based [EHang](https://www.ehang.com/?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io) (亿航智能设备有限公司) delivered 36 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the second quarter, up from four in the first quarter but down from 52 a year earlier, it said in its [Aug. 25 results](https://ir.ehang.com/node/12856/pdf?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io). It withdrew its 2026 revenue guidance of 600 million yuan (about US$84 million). 

EHang said a major accident involving a piloted light-sport aircraft in China in late June had affected the pace of approvals for passenger commercial operations in some regions. EHang didn’t name the accident, but on June 26 a light-sport aircraft [crashed into CITIC Tower](https://www.newsweek.com/aircraft-crashes-into-one-of-chinas-tallest-buildings-what-to-know-12126043?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io), Beijing’s tallest building, killing the pilot.

*Sources:* [*工业和信息化部 Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), notice 工信部规函〔2026〕314号*](https://www.miit.gov.cn/jgsj/ghs/wjfb/art/2026/art%5F96461f2b36be4c72a83dd9454940f52a.html?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io)*,* [*MIIT, attachment 1 (park list, PDF)*](https://www.miit.gov.cn/cms%5Ffiles/filemanager/1226211233/attach/20269/fbb9fe4fe2c643e9ba690d851a61134e.pdf?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io)*,* [*MIIT, attachment 2 (company list, PDF)*](https://www.miit.gov.cn/cms%5Ffiles/filemanager/1226211233/attach/20269/0ab6e3d15ca84c42b1d21ade16c0dd27.pdf?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io)*,* [*中航（成都）无人机 AVIC (Chengdu) UAS, 2026 half-year report (cninfo)*](https://static.cninfo.com.cn/finalpage/2026-08-19/1225479250.PDF?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io)*,* [*EHang Holdings, Q2 2026 results release*](https://ir.ehang.com/node/12856/pdf?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io)*,* [*纵横股份 Chengdu JOUAV Automation Tech, 2026 half-year report (cninfo)*](https://static.cninfo.com.cn/finalpage/2026-08-27/1225510703.PDF?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io)*,* [*亿航智能 EHang (EH216-S product page)*](https://www.ehang.com/ehang216s/?ref=asia-tech-news.ghost.io)

*Editor: Ian Lamont*