High-tech drones displayed at China's aviation exhibition

An exhibition in Beijing, part of the second China Air Transport Association (CATA) Aviation Conference, showcased a range of impressive high-tech drones.

China's drone industry is developing rapidly, with the number of registered drones nearing 2.05 million as of September 2024. By 2025, the output value of the country's civilian drones is expected to exceed 200 billion yuan (over 28 billion U.S. dollars).

The exhibition showcased the latest domestic drone applications and the latest models, reflecting the industry's growth and innovation.

One highlight at the exhibition is an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, which has recently received a production license from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. This makes the eVTOL aircraft the world's first air vehicle to obtain production, airworthiness and type certificates simultaneously. It is expected to begin mass production by the end of this year and gradually enter daily life.

"This eVTOL aircraft is developed by China with independent intellectual property rights. We will also incorporate new energy technologies. The drones will gradually enter cities in the future and eventually become part of daily life," said Sun Yong'an, an exhibitor.

Another highlight at the exhibition is a set of drones designed specifically for teenagers. These drones allow young users to easily learn flight and programming techniques through mobile phone operation.

"We adopt a dual-battery design. If one battery encounters a glitch, the other battery can ensure that the drone functions normally. The propellers are equipped with a two-way up-and-down mechanism to better combat wind resistance," said Bao Xinli, another exhibitor.

At the conference, the CATA also introduced a self-discipline convention for fair competition among general aviation enterprises.

Running from Friday to Sunday, the second CATA Aviation Conference also features industry forums on topics such as high-quality development of aviation transportation, innovation in smart civil aviation, civil aviation network and data security, and low-altitude economic development.

High-tech drones displayed at China's aviation exhibition

The Montreux Jazz Festival China opened on the shore of Jinji Lake in Suzhou on Friday, providing an audio-visual feast to jazz fans that flocked there and bridging the cultural exchange between the East and the West.

This is the third time for the event to be held in China, with this edition themed "When West Meets East".

Upward of 100 Chinese and foreign musicians staged more than 20 performances during the three-day event, covering various music styles such as jazz, rock, electronic music, and pop, creating a cultural feast for the audience.

"It's great to discover a small part of China, because in three days -- I won't see a lot, but I really like to see how Chinese people are enjoying music. Yesterday evening during the concert of 'Earth, Wind and Fire', everyone was dancing. It was really lively , and really nice to enjoy this music together. Through music, we can understand each other. Sometimes it's very difficult to understand each other through the languages, and also sometimes with cultural gap. But through music we gather everyone around the emotions and the pleasure to share this kind of moment. This is why we promote the cultural exchange, in Montreux in Switzerland and also here, of course, in Suzhou. So we are very happy, and we hope to, maybe, welcome emerging musicians from China in Montreux," said Viviane Rychner Raouf, secretary general of Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation.

The concert "Earth, Wind and Fire Experience" mentioned by Raouf was given by Al McKay, one of the world's best Rhythm and Blues groups, and it provided a swing party to spectators.

Swiss music promoter Claude Nobs, who died in 2013, founded the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1967 and built it into an international festival and event platform for music lovers.

Since its creation, the festival under its slogan "Where Legends Are Born" has seen many iconic live music performances.

World-renowned music festival held in Suzhou