Lawmakers call for enhanced supervision on mapping drones

China's lawmakers on Tuesday deliberated draft revisions to the surveying and mapping law, calling for more supervision on the use of drones in mapping.

The amended draft was submitted to legislators for a second reading at the bimonthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which runs until Thursday.

During the group deliberation on Tuesday, Hou Yibin, a member of the NPC Standing Committee, said the draft needs provisions to regulate the use of drones, which is already a common practice in the sector. Yang Zhen, another member of the NPC Standing Committee, suggested that an approval mechanism for the use of drones should be established to control the risks.

Unauthorized drone flights are posing threats to civilian aviation, said Yang, citing earlier reports.

Lawmakers also called for intensified military-civilian integration in surveying and mapping activities to make better use of resources.

The current surveying and mapping law was formulated in 1992 and amended in 2002.

The draft revisions deal with the use of safe, reliable technology and equipment, managing navigation and positioning reference stations and supervision of Internet mapping services.

The draft also specified raising awareness of national territory through the curricula for middle and primary schools.