East China plans drone production base

HANGZHOU - Taizhou in east China is planning to build a drone production base to tap into the rising industry, the city government said Friday.

The government of Taizhou, Zhejiang province, has signed a deal with the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA) to create a base that will manufacture civilian drones and airborne weapons, research, training and marketing.

Taizhou hopes to call on the CAAA's prowess in drone design to help the city develop advanced equipment production and nurture new economic engines, a city economic planner said.

China is a world-leading drone maker, with Shenzhen-based company DJI holding about 70 percent of the consumer drone market worldwide. The industry has been hailed as a paragon of industrial innovation China seeks to wean itself off reliance on traditional manufacturing.