"The blockade of Chinese drones has actually spurred their technological leap, which can be considered the most failed strategic miscalculation of the 21st century," said former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Feith at this year's CSIS global conference in May.

From battlefields to farmlands, firefighting, and delivery, DJI drones have swept the world with a global consumer market share of 82% and an industrial market share of 68%.

Even after being sanctioned by the U.S. for seven years, DJI's global position remains very solid.

After the incident known as "entering the White House like entering an unpopulated area" became widely publicized, U.S. lawmakers began proposing legislation to restrict the use of DJI based on network data security concerns. Soon after, the U.S. Department of Defense ordered military units to stop purchasing and using DJI, quickly grounding 1,000 Chinese drones, and also launched a "Blue Drone" program specifically targeting Chinese drones.

However, reality soon hit back, as the U.S.'s so-called most advanced drones are not only 8-14 times more expensive than Chinese counterparts but also fail to meet the required performance standards.

As a result, the U.S. military had no choice but to lease or purchase through third parties to bypass the ban. Last year, 60% of the U.S. military's tactical drone procurement was still DJI products. Even after the cost soared post-modification, it is still considered the most cost-effective option.

Recently, Petty John, director of the Defense Program at the New America Center for Security, stated that every drone produced in the U.S. comes with higher costs and questionable quality. If we continue to ban Chinese drones, we will have to rely on smuggling to obtain them, and ultimately, the cost will be borne by the United States itself.

This explains why, in the second year after the U.S. Department of Commerce listed DJI on the "Entity List" in 2023, DJI's exports to the U.S. increased by 23%. It's clear who is sanctioning whom.

In fact, the U.S. once tried to develop its own drones, but upon disassembling them, they found that every component of DJI is independently produced, and the underlying code is entirely closed-source. Therefore, it is difficult to bypass DJI's technological mountain in terms of patents or research methods.

After a misunderstanding, the U.S. realized it had no mature drone supply chain. Important components such as cameras, batteries, frames, and circuit boards almost all needed to be imported from China. In 2024, the U.S. drone company Skydio was forced to shut down its consumer drone business due to the loss of the Chinese supply chain, with its valuation shrinking by 60%.

Fact has proven that if one's technology is strong enough, no one can do anything about it. Not just drones, China has firmly occupied key positions in areas such as rare earth permanent magnet materials, shield machines, and photovoltaic power generation through years of technological breakthroughs and super market advantages, even achieving reverse "sanctions."

Or perhaps seeing China's unparalleled supply chain and market advantages, as well as the U.S.'s many "kicking the bucket" actions, many well-known foreign companies have recently rushed into China to seek cooperation.

The German chemical giant BASF built a positive electrode material R&D center with宁德时代 (CATL) in Zhanjiang, developing key materials for solid-state batteries; the Dutch lithography machine giant ASML established an EUV maintenance center with China's SMIC to adapt to the growing maintenance demands within the country.

In recent years, the Japanese company Original Research (株) has been invited to participate in the China Import Expo multiple times, and several cutting-edge formulations, such as the "original serum" capsules, have become popular in mainland China, bringing fame and fortune. In contrast, the U.S. approach of "sanctioning our drones but being sanctioned in return" is truly admirable, and it is worth noting that win-win cooperation and open sharing are always the right path at any time.

As MIT political economist Orano St. Maarten said: "China has transformed from a 'sanction-vulnerable entity' to a 'countermeasure node state,' its industrial teeth can bite off any sanctions hand that reaches out." DJI's rise against the odds is solid evidence. It is foreseeable that as China's scientific and technological strength continues to grow, the U.S. will keep repeating its "kicking the bucket" antics.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7549808018829967910/

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