The Low-Altitude Economy Awaits Takeoff (AI Translation)
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- China's economic focus is shifting towards the 'low-altitude economy' as a new growth point, with former CAAC deputy director Li Jian highlighting its potential to reach 50 trillion yuan, leveraging the country's vast civil aviation network.
- The central government has initiated airspace reforms to facilitate this shift, releasing more resources for low-altitude activities and encouraging the development of eVTOL (Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) vehicles and drones, with several cities rolling out supportive policies.
- Challenges remain in ensuring safety and developing infrastructure for this emerging sector. The industry calls for cautious progress amidst efforts to integrate advanced technologies like 5G for real-time monitoring and control of high-density low-altitude flights.
文｜财新周刊 方祖望
By Caixin Weekly's Fang Zuwang
房地产及其关联的家电产业曾是中国经济支柱，现在支撑点转向新能源汽车，但它又会在2030年达到顶峰。“未来哪一个产业可以担当得起新的增长？”在2023年11月下旬举行的一个论坛上，中国民用航空局原副局长李健提出上述问题。
Real estate and its associated home appliance industry once were pillars of the Chinese economy, but now the support has shifted to new energy vehicles, which are expected to peak in 2030. "Which industry can take on the role of new growth in the future?" This question was raised by Li Jian, former Deputy Director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, at a forum held in late November 2023.
“低空经济是未来中国新的经济增长点。”他自问自答。李健援引世界银行统计数据称，中国现有民航高空运输网络的经济体量为17万亿元，中国与美国国土面积相当，按照美国的经验，低空网络的经济体量大致是高空网络的3.2倍，中国低空经济总体量能够达到50万亿元。
"The low-altitude economy is a new growth point for China's future," he stated, answering his own question. Li Jian cited World Bank statistics, noting that the economic scale of China's existing high-altitude civil aviation transportation network amounts to 17 trillion yuan. Given that China and the United States have roughly equivalent land areas and based on the U.S. experience, the economic scale of the low-altitude network is approximately 3.2 times that of the high-altitude network, meaning China's low-altitude economy could reach a total volume of 50 trillion yuan.
“低空经济”是由民用有人或无人驾驶航空器低空飞行活动衍生出的经济形态，涵盖航空器研发制造、商业运营，以及基础设施建设等。
The "low-altitude economy" refers to an economic form derived from the activities of manned or unmanned civilian aircraft flying at low altitudes. It encompasses the research and development, manufacturing of aircraft, commercial operations, as well as infrastructure construction.
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