A steady hum fills the air around the busy tourist spots of Shenzhen, in southern China. It is the sound of a fleet of drones criss-crossing the sky, dropping off takeaway food, coffee and bubble tea to visitors who scan a QR code and order to parks and scenic spots.
“It feels quite novel,” said Southeast Asian visitor Liew Kee Ho. “Back in Malaysia, I’ve never seen drones used to deliver milk tea or food. Anything you’ve never tried before always feels novel and exciting for the first time.”
China has emerged as one of the world’s most advanced markets for commercial drone logistics, backed by a vast manufacturing base, government support and rapidly spreading delivery networks. The sector sits within what Beijing calls the “low-altitude economy”, covering airspace up to about 1,000 metres (3,300 feet).
Civil aviation authorities said 3.29 million drones had been registered in China by the end of 2025, with annual drone flight hours rising nearly 70 per cent to 45.3 million. Operators such as Meituan have set up regular routes for hundreds of thousands of drops in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, and even to the Great Wall.
Another tourist, Qin Pei, said the service filled a genuine gap. “I think, in places like parks, it is quite necessary,” she said, noting how hard it is for food delivery drivers to track down customers in such areas. “This set-up is also particularly well-suited for the kind of extreme heat we see in China. So it makes much more sense to use machines.”
In Shenzhen, at least, the convenience will briefly disappear. The city is set to host world leaders at next week’s APEC summit, where US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet. Meituan has said it suspended drone deliveries in Shenzhen for 10 days from 11 November, at the request of regulators, and has not set a resumption date. Routes in other cities are unaffected.
The pause underlines how far the technology has moved from novelty to infrastructure — and how quickly a state can switch it off when security takes priority.
Sources: Reuters, “Food arrives by drone in APEC host Shenzhen, as China expands ‘low-altitude’ economy” (https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/food-arrives-by-drone-apec-host-shenzhen-china-expands-low-altitude-economy-2026-11-13/).
