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China has expanded its drone and counter-drone capabilities across Tibet, with unmanned aircraft, automated docking stations and drone-detection systems increasingly being integrated into a broader surveillance network, Phayul reported, citing a new Tibet Watch study.
Titled Eyes Above the Plateau: Drones, DJI, and the Aerial Architecture of Control in Tibet, the report was released on September 29 with research support from US-based non-profit C4ADS. It examines Chinese government records dating back to 2017, including police tenders, procurement contracts, training material, flight restrictions and official notices. According to Phayul, the study identifies an emerging aerial architecture of control, with security agencies, including regional anti-terror units and local police stations, acquiring drones for surveillance and what Chinese authorities describe as stability maintenance. The report found that drone deployment has been particularly prominent in areas linked to protests, religious activity and opposition to government policies. In Driru County, where authorities carried out a crackdown following protests in 2013, Tibet Watch identified what it described as the largest county-level police drone fleet, comprising 18 aircraft reportedly used for daily patrols. In Derge in eastern Tibet, county police reportedly acquired four automated DJI drone docking stations for a checkpoint along the Sichuan-Tibet road. The procurement took place around 15 months after protests over a hydropower project that threatened villages and monasteries, according to the study. The report also highlights the growth of counter-drone systems. Lhasa police reportedly purchased equipment in 2021 capable of detecting and jamming unauthorised drones. Phayul reported that during Chinese President Xi Jinpings visit to Tibet in August 2025, authorities restricted airspace over Lhasa and four other prefecture-level areas, while Chamdo authorities warned that unauthorised drones could be shot down. The study further noted that since May 2026, newly manufactured drones in China have reportedly required registration to their owners identities before operation. Tibet Watch identified 12 procurement contracts involving DJI equipment supplied to government and security agencies in Tibetan areas, worth about 24.8 million yuan. The contracts included 15 aircraft for police operations in central Lhasa and around the Jokhang Temple. (ANI)
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