House Committee Lawmakers Urge Fairfax County to Stop Using Chinese Drones

A DJI Mavic 2 Pro and DJI Mavic Mini made by the Chinese drone maker fly near each other in Miami, Fla., on Dec. 15, 2021. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The leaders of the House China select committee have called on a Virginia county government to cease using drones manufactured in China, warning that they pose espionage and data security risks.

Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), the panel’s ranking member, expressed concerns about Fairfax County’s use of Chinese unmanned aerial system (UAS) platforms, in a Sept. 26 letter to Jeffrey McKay, chairman of the county’s board of supervisors.

“We understand Fairfax County is aware of the national security risks associated with deploying PRC drones and that the County has begun to raise awareness of supply chain and data security risks of foreign adversary-made UAS,” the letter reads, using the abbreviation of communist China’s official name, the People’s Republic of China.

The lawmakers said that Fairfax County operates a mixed drone fleet, and its public safety programs, emergency services, and the fire department all use drones to carry out their missions.

“We urge Fairfax County to ensure PRC drones are excluded from procurement and partner programs in the future,” the lawmakers wrote, saying there is a “large amount of sensitive national security sites and interests” in the county.

Fairfax County is located about 10 miles from Washington and is home to several U.S. intelligence agencies, such as the CIA, the National Counterterrorism Center, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The letter named two Chinese drone manufacturers—DJI and Autel Robotics—that pose a threat to U.S. national and economic security, citing a report issued by the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in January.

The report highlights the risks associated with using Chinese-made drones by pointing to different Chinese laws, including the National Intelligence Law that took effect in 2017, which compels Chinese companies to hand over data collected within China and elsewhere to Beijing’s intelligence agencies.

“The 2021 Data Security Law expands the PRC’s access to and control of companies and data within China and imposes strict penalties on China-based businesses for non-compliance,” the report says.

The report encourages owners and operators of U.S. critical infrastructure to buy drones that are “secure by design,” including those made by U.S. companies.

Drones

According to the letter, as of May 2023, seven states—including Florida, Arkansas, and Tennessee—have grounded their fleets of Chinese drones and banned future procurement because of “legitimate concerns about proprietary data being sent back” to China.

The lawmakers warned that DJI “is looking for ways to sidestep regulatory and competitive pressures through a strategy known as ‘white-labeling.’” They noted that DJI has technology-sharing agreements with companies, allowing its drones to be sold under different brand names in the U.S. market.

“This white-labeling strategy may allow DJI to maintain a presence in markets where there are restrictions or hesitation about their products, under the guise of a different brand,” the lawmakers wrote.

Drone Industry Insights reported that DJI controlled nearly 80 percent of the market share of consumer drones in the United States in 2020.

In June, the Atlantic Council published a brief saying that DJI and Autel achieved global market dominance through two CCP policies: Made in China 2025 and Military-Civil Fusion.

“As a result of these strategies, DJI and Autel can sell their UAS at below-market cost to the United States and allied countries, a process known as dumping,” the brief says.

The State Department has warned that China is adopting the fusion strategy to divert the world’s cutting-edge technologies, including through theft, to achieve military dominance.

The Department of Defense has added DJI to its list of Chinese firms that it says are working with the Chinese military.

While noting that Chinese drone makers could sell cheaper drones because of Chinese state subsidies, the lawmakers said that Congress could assist state and local governments in choosing “more secure drone options” by ensuring that certain grant programs are available.

Aside from calling on Fairfax County to stop using Chinese drones, the lawmakers also asked the county to assist other counties in Virginia to adopt a drone procurement policy that “adheres to the Virginia Public Procurement Act and the federal government’s framework of addressing PRC drones and its national security risks.”

In response to an email inquiry from The Epoch Times, a spokesperson for McKay said, “We have received a letter from the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party regarding drone usage and will be drafting a response.”