Michael Schuman, Columnist

Why China's Drones Are Taking Off

An erratic regulatory style can sometimes be an advantage.

April 26, 2017 at 9:00 PM UTC

Michael Schuman is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub and the author of "Superpower Interrupted: The Chinese History of the World" and "The Miracle: The Epic Story of Asia's Quest for Wealth."

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Amazon.com Inc.'s Jeff Bezos has made a career of being first in e-commerce. But in one critical area, he's falling behind -- thanks to Washington. While Bezos has been eager to deliver orders to customers in the U.S. with drones, Amazon's efforts have so far been stymied by outdated regulations.

Meanwhile, JD.com Inc., an Amazon-like Chinese retailer, is soaring past its American rival. JD has already employed drones to make thousands of deliveries in China, where regulators haven't been as obstructive. The startup has received approval from five provinces to fly drones so far, and is applying for more. It recently announced plans to build 150 drone stations in southwestern Sichuan province alone.