KDSN RADIO News
Hinson backs ban on drones made by Chinese company
Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says farmers should be wary of agricultural drones manufactured in China and sold in the U.S. by a company called DJI.
“Every farmer needs to be ‘eyes wide open’ about the technology they are currently using on their farms,” Hinson said during a conference call with Iowa reporters.
There are nearly 10,000 registered agricultural spray drones in the U.S. today and Hinson said many of those were made by DJI, which has ties to the Chinese military.
“They have sophisticated sensing technology designed to help monitor the health of crops and direct the spray to the appropriate area,” Hinson told reporters, “but that also means that these drones are actively collecting granular level detail on our ag industry that can be weaponized by the CCP.”
Hinson said that means the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could have leverage over the U.S. food supply, making this a national security issue. DJI says it has no ties to the Chinese military and the proposed ban on its products would deprive U.S. farmers of the benefits DJI spray drones offer. DJI is the world’s largest drone manufacturer and about 80% of the consumer drones in the U.S. were sold by DJI.
This week, the U.S. House passed a bill that would ban all future DJI drone models from operating in the United States. “Communist China is the most significant threat to the United States’ security, economy and global leadership,” Hinson said. “For decades the U.S. has taken, frankly, a delicate approach to our relationship with communist China, and hoping that if we bring them into the rules based international order that they would act accordingly.”
Hinson said appeasing China hasn’t worked and it’s time to change tactics. Hinson, a Republican from Marion, is a member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Community Party.
