It sounds a bit futuristic, but after electric cars from China, drones are also next. The application of these small flying devices in agriculture could be a threat to American national security. That is what twelve members of the American House of Representatives say. They want the Biden administration to do something about the use of Chinese drones on American farms.
The members of Congress have raised the alarm with the US Department of Agriculture and the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Service, according to letters seen by the Reuters news agency. The risk lies in drones that can spread aerosols (small liquid particles). In the letter, the members of Congress state that the US Department of Commerce should impose restrictions on the import of drones that can spread aerosols.
Risk of a drone attack
The arrows are aimed at the drones of the Chinese company DJI. "The risk that DJI's spraying drones could be manipulated to carry out an attack in the United States cannot be ignored," Reuters quotes from the letter. "When we rely on our greatest strategic adversary for technology that is critical to the success of our agricultural production, we jeopardize the resilience of our food supply." The members of Congress also point out that China can collect very detailed information about crops in the US with drones. DJI is not a small player in the American market and, according to the members of Congress, accounts for more than half of drone sales in the US.
DJI states that the company has no ties to the Chinese military. "The unsubstantiated claims about our agricultural drone technology put American farmers at risk by missing out on the potentially significant benefits of DJI spray drones," the company writes. The drone technology fits into sustainable agriculture. "Farmers can take further steps toward precision agriculture."
The Chinese embassy supports Chinese companies and "opposes the frequent illegal sanctions by certain countries against Chinese companies and individuals on the grounds of so-called national security," the embassy told Reuters.