The Office of Air Traffic Regulation of the Civil Aviation Administration of China ("CAAC") has recently issued the Guiding Opinions on Boosting the Development of Civil Unmanned Aviation (Draft for Comment) (the "Draft for Comment") for public consultation by May 24, 2019.
The Draft for Comment reads that the period from 2021 to 2035 will be the phase of integrated development to build China's civil unmanned aviation management system, and the period from 2036 to the middle of this century will witness all-round improvements to China's civil unmanned aviation management system. Accordingly, the Draft for Comment lays down tasks in 12 aspects, including "improving the top-level design of the unmanned aviation operation" and "establishing and improving the framework of laws and standards". According to the Draft for Comment, active support will be shown for the formulation of the Interim Regulations on Flight Management for Unmanned Aircrafts. Based on concepts related to civil unmanned aviation operation, legislative efforts will be made to simultaneously enact the holistic rules for safe operation, sort out relevant provisions to set up a framework of regulations concerning civil unmanned aviation, and create a sound legal system that covers operation management, business management, aviation safety and security.