Chen Lingting/Wen
On March 5, 2026, the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress grandly opened. Premier Li Qiang emphatically stated in the government work report: &#34;Implement industrial innovation projects, encourage central enterprises and state-owned enterprises to take the lead in opening application scenarios, and create emerging pillar industries such as integrated circuits, aerospace, biomedicine, and low-altitude economy.&#34;
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Zheng Zhanjie, Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, clearly pointed out at the economic-themed press conference held on March 6 that the six emerging pillar industries, including the low-altitude economy, will see their related output value double by 2030 compared to 2025, with a total scale expanding to over 10 trillion yuan.
Low-altitude economy anchored as a pillar industry in the government work report
This marks the third consecutive year that the low-altitude economy has been included in the government work report, following its first inclusion in 2024 and emphasis on safe and healthy development in 2025. It is also the first time it has been explicitly defined as an &#34;emerging pillar industry,&#34; achieving a key leap in strategic positioning from &#34;new growth engine&#34; to &#34;emerging pillar industry.&#34;
CCTV.com pointed out in its interpretation of the report that the 2026 government work report provides a clear &#34;navigation map&#34; for market entities. The low-altitude economy is explicitly listed as an &#34;emerging pillar industry&#34; alongside integrated circuits and aerospace, a positioning that far exceeds the previous conceptual discussion stage. Experts analyze that this means the low-altitude economy has moved from the &#34;sowing&#34; stage to a critical growth phase that requires nurturing and strengthening alongside existing emerging industries to become a &#34;towering tree.&#34;
On the eve of the Two Sessions, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments issued the &#34;Implementation Opinions on Promoting High-Quality Development of Low-Altitude Insurance,&#34; clearly accelerating the establishment of a mandatory insurance system for liability insurance, which is viewed by the industry as a key step towards the &#34;standardized development&#34; of the low-altitude economy.
At the same time, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology held a meeting of the low-altitude industry development leadership group to deploy the deepening of collaboration between low-altitude equipment and industries such as new energy and new generation information technology, accelerating the empowerment of artificial intelligence. This indicates that the low-altitude economy in 2026 is no longer just a single track of drones, but has upgraded to a complete industrial system covering aircraft, infrastructure, air traffic control, safety, and application scenarios.
According to industry forecasts, the market size of China's low-altitude economy will reach 1.5 trillion yuan by 2025, and is expected to exceed 3 trillion yuan during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, forming a trillion-level industrial cluster. The China Center for Information Industry Development predicts that the low-altitude economy in China will gradually enter a critical stage of large-scale high-quality development in 2026.
With national strategic promotion at a high level, local actions are rapidly following up. Before the national Two Sessions, all 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) included low-altitude economy-related content in their 2026 government work reports without exception. Various regions are responding to national strategic deployments with practical actions, igniting an unprecedented &#34;low-altitude competition&#34; and forming a differentiated and specialized development pattern
Representatives and Committee Members Offer Suggestions, Targeting Core Pain Points in Industrial Development
For the low-altitude economy to take off, infrastructure is the foundation, and legal protection is the safeguard. In response to the current pain points such as &#34;difficult coordination&#34; and &#34;difficult regulation&#34; in the development of the low-altitude economy across various regions, representatives have offered suggestions, directly addressing &#34;new infrastructure&#34; and &#34;new legal frameworks.&#34;
Xia Yong, a representative of the National People's Congress and the Party Secretary and Chairman of China Mobile Communications Group Chongqing Co., Ltd., pointed out that the construction of low-altitude intelligent network infrastructure currently faces dual challenges of &#34;high costs&#34; and &#34;difficult coordination.&#34; He suggested supporting Chongqing in promoting a low-altitude communication networking model of &#34;low frequency as the base, high frequency as the supplement,&#34; and accelerating the planning of low-altitude wireless spectrum resources. The key lies in building a &#34;5G + BeiDou&#34; precise positioning advantage to achieve an active supervision mechanism for drones with &#34;one machine, one code, one flight, one report,&#34; controlling illegal flights from the technical source.
Representative Xia Yong also emphasized that to solve the prominent issues of illegal low-altitude flight activities, it is essential to innovate digital regulatory methods. He encouraged telecommunications companies to strengthen coordination with air traffic management departments, establish a unified technical specification system, promote data sharing, and ensure that regulation is both &#34;omnipresent&#34; and &#34;non-intrusive.&#34;
Compared to the hard connectivity of technology, the soft connection of systems is equally urgent. Lü Hongbing, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Supervisor of the All-China Lawyers Association, called during the two sessions for the low-altitude economy to bid farewell to &#34;barbaric growth&#34; by accelerating the legislative process. He pointed out that although China already has the &#34;Civil Aviation Law&#34; and the &#34;Interim Regulations on the Flight Management of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,&#34; these regulations mainly apply to traditional civil aviation. The low-altitude economy, as a new concept of new productive forces, requires a dedicated &#34;Low-Altitude Economic Industry Promotion Law&#34; to stimulate development.
Member Lü Hongbing analyzed the key points in legislation in detail: first, the ownership issue of low-altitude airspace should be clarified, suggesting that the law directly stipulates state ownership of low-altitude airspace; second, the principle of &#34;safety first&#34; should be established and integrated throughout the entire process of aircraft manufacturing, operation, and data compliance.
At the same time, the low-altitude economy is not only a technical task but also requires regional collaboration. Xian Handi, a representative from the port area of the National People's Congress, proposed leveraging the advantages of Shenzhen's comprehensive reform pilot to initiate cross-border low-altitude logistics pilot projects in areas such as Qianhai and Hetao. He suggested a &#34;gradual approach,&#34; starting with cargo before people, to gradually promote the normalization of cross-border low-altitude flights. This involves formulating relevant regulations for low-altitude port management, unifying the flight route designation standards between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and constructing cross-border takeoff and landing facilities in areas such as Shekou and Prince Bay, aiming to break through multiple bottlenecks in policies, standards, and facilities.
Zhou Bin, Chief Engineer of the Guangdong Bay Area Aerospace Information Research Institute and a representative of the National People's Congress, focused on the source of the industrial chain. He believes that Guangdong is the &#34;pioneer&#34; of the low-altitude economy, with over 30 core enterprises such as EHang and XPeng in Guangzhou alone. He suggested including Guangzhou as a pilot city for eVTOL, granting it greater autonomy in route planning and safety regulation. At the same time, he urgently called for the state to quickly introduce dedicated airworthiness standards for eVTOL and motor technology standards, and to support the establishment of a national-level airworthiness certification institution for new aircraft in Guangdong to match the rapid development needs of the industry, helping Guangdong build a world-class low-altitude manufacturing hub
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Li Liangbin, a representative of the National People's Congress and chairman of Ganfeng Lithium, approached the issue from an energy perspective and submitted a proposal titled &#34;Suggestions for Accelerating the Research and Commercialization of Power Batteries for Aircraft.&#34; He pointed out the current core bottleneck in the development of eVTOLs—power batteries. He admitted that although the energy density of battery cells has entered the range of 300Wh/kg, to achieve regular operations, it must evolve to 400-500Wh/kg or even higher. He proposed five targeted suggestions: first, strengthen top-level design and planning coordination, and research and formulate a &#34;Long-term Development Special Plan for the Application of Power Batteries in Low-altitude Flight&#34;; second, enhance cooperation between industry, academia, and research, and establish a national science and technology major project for &#34;Advanced Power Systems for Low-altitude Aircraft&#34;; third, establish and improve the industry standard system; fourth, provide financial, tax, and talent policy support; fifth, ensure supply chain security and the recycling of key elements.
Yang Weikun, a representative of the National People's Congress and president of Hebei Finance University, focused on talent. He stated that there is a significant gap between the supply of talent in China's low-altitude economy and market demand, and it is urgent to strengthen policy guidance and support, build a multi-level talent training system, enhance school-enterprise cooperation and the integration of industry, academia, and research, improve industry recognition and attractiveness, and perfect talent incentive and security mechanisms to promote talent cultivation in the low-altitude field.
Key Nodes for Institutional Supply and Industrial Scaling Alignment, Presenting Four Major Trends
Based on the policy signals and representatives' suggestions during the Two Sessions, China's low-altitude economy is entering a golden development period characterized by the highest strategic status, the densest policy supply, the strongest industrial momentum, and the largest market space.
He Xiaopeng, a representative of the National People's Congress and chairman and CEO of XPeng, stated in an interview that 2026 is not only a year of continuous technological breakthroughs but also a critical node for aligning institutional supply and industrial scaling.
This year, the industrial development presents four clear trends. First, core technological breakthroughs are shifting from &#34;single-point attacks&#34; to &#34;systematic iterations.&#34; Aviation engine expert Dan Xiaoming pointed out that in the next 5-10 years, electrification and automation will reshape the aviation equipment ecosystem. eVTOLs need to focus on breakthroughs in key technologies such as high-energy batteries, distributed electric propulsion, and autonomous flight control. Domestic companies have made progress in the hybrid eVTOL field, officially debuting with a range of over a thousand kilometers, opening up imaginative space for intercity low-altitude applications.
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Second, infrastructure is moving from &#34;dispersed construction&#34; to &#34;systematic construction.&#34; The construction of a low-altitude intelligent network is accelerating, with &#34;5G + BeiDou&#34; precise positioning technology achieving active supervision of drones with &#34;one machine, one code, one flight, one report&#34;; at the same time, low-altitude visual flight charts, as the core foundation for ensuring flight safety, have been included in the national key projects for low-altitude economic development, and standardized construction is on the agenda, which will provide navigation support for non-professional pilots and urban air traffic
Third, the application scenarios are shifting from &#34;pilot demonstration&#34; to &#34;large-scale commercial use.&#34; The year 2026 is viewed by the industry as a key year for the industry's landing, with logistics distribution, cultural tourism, and emergency rescue scenarios accelerating the establishment of a commercial closed loop. Yang Yi, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, observed that although eVTOL and other aircraft have gradually obtained airworthiness certification, achieving truly green, high-quality, and sustainable development still requires continuous efforts in validating the supporting business models.
Fourth, the standard system and legal guarantees are accelerating formation, with the newly revised Civil Aviation Law coming into effect and multiple national standards for drones being implemented. The balance between regulation and innovation is being advanced, and with the deepening of the Central Air Traffic Control Commission's work, inter-departmental joint regulation and division of responsibilities will be further clarified, while the approval process continues to simplify. More provincial and municipal low-altitude flight management service platforms will accelerate their launch, achieving &#34;visible, callable, and manageable&#34; full-process intelligent control.
As the policy system continues to be refined, key technologies continue to break through, and application scenarios continue to expand, China's low-altitude economy is growing from a new track into a new space that supports high-quality development, becoming an important engine for cultivating new productive forces and driving economic growth.
[Citation]
① New People's Congress topic: National Committee member Lv Hongbing calls for accelerating legislation to let the low-altitude economy bid farewell to &#34;barbaric growth.&#34; Xinmin Evening News. 2026-03-04.
② Two Sessions Interpretation · Government Work Report unfolds &#34;navigation map&#34; to trace future industrial layout. CCTV.com. 2026-03-07.
③ Anchoring new productive forces, He Xiaopeng submits three proposals focusing on autonomous driving, embodied intelligence, and the low-altitude economy. Cover News. 2026-03-04.
④ Focusing on the Two Sessions 2026, a comprehensive analysis of the low-altitude economy &#34;takeoff&#34; blueprint across various regions. China Low Altitude. 2026-03-04.
⑤ [Focusing on the National Two Sessions] National People's Congress representative Zhou Bin: Build a world-class low-altitude manufacturing hub in Guangdong. Guangzhou Daily. 2026-03-09.
⑥ National People's Congress representative Yang Weikun: Accelerate talent cultivation in the low-altitude field to promote high-quality development of the low-altitude economy. Xinhua Net. 2025-03-07.
⑦ Flight range can exceed 1000 kilometers! Xunqi Technology's V1000 eVTOL officially debuts. Market Information. 2026-02-26

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At the National People's Congress in 2026, the low-altitude economy was clearly defined as an "emerging pillar industry," marking a significant leap in its strategic positioning. The National Development and Reform Commission predicts that by 2030, the output value related to the low-altitude economy will double, exceeding 10 trillion yuan. The government work report provides a clear direction for market entities, emphasizing that the low-altitude economy is on par with industries such as integrated circuits and aerospace. Relevant departments have introduced policies to promote the standardized development of the low-altitude economy, with the market size expected to reach 1.5 trillion yuan by 2025 and is likely to exceed 3 trillion yuan in the future

- The 14th National People's Congress opened on March 5, 2026, with Premier Li Qiang emphasizing the importance of industrial innovation and emerging pillar industries, including the low-altitude economy.  
- The National Development and Reform Commission predicts that by 2030, the output value of low-altitude industries will double compared to 2025.  
- The low-altitude economy is transitioning from a conceptual phase to a key growth stage, supported by legislative efforts and regional initiatives to enhance infrastructure and regulatory frameworks.

2026 Two Sessions Set the Tone: Low-altitude Economy Becomes a "New Pillar Industry"