Germany bans Chinese-made drones at its military bases
Germany's armed forces have banned commercially available Chinese-made drones from military bases and training grounds over security concerns. The move fits a wider Western trend of restricting Chinese smart technology at military sites.
Germany has banned the use of commercially available Chinese-made unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, at its military bases and training grounds. The decision is based on security concerns: Western armed forces are increasingly worried that Chinese-origin technology and smart devices may pose espionage risks and could be used to send sensitive information to Beijing.
How the drones reached the units
The German publication Der Spiegel reports that in recent years these drones entered military units with minimal bureaucratic oversight. Local commanders were permitted to buy drones from an approved list of systems, which included equipment from DJI, the world's leading Chinese manufacturer. Because there was no single central register of purchases made by individual units, the army leadership introduced an immediate, blanket ban in order to remove the drones from use as quickly as possible.
A broader trend
Germany's step matches the practice of other Western defence institutions. The US military recently barred Chinese company BYD's electric cars from entering its Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, calling them an unacceptable risk. Poland introduced similar restrictions on Chinese-made vehicles at military facilities back in February, worried that onboard sensors, cameras and GPS receivers could be used to collect data.
The caution is reinforced by China's 2017 National Intelligence Law, which obliges domestic companies to cooperate with state security bodies. Manufacturers such as BYD maintain that data is not sent to China and remains under users' control. Even so, members of the European Parliament and security services in several countries continue to call for tighter oversight of connected devices and foreign suppliers.
