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China opens high-altitude drone research hub in Tibet near Everest
The Plateau Drone R&D Application Centre is described as China’s first research and application platform dedicated to drones operating at high altitude, building on a prior test base launched in Ngari prefecture in 2025.
Beijing has launched a drone research hub in Tibet near Mount Everest, aiming to use the region’s high-altitude conditions in the broader technology competition between the US and China, according to SCMP Economy. The Plateau Drone R&D Application Centre was unveiled by Xizang University, with Xinhua reporting on the rollout.
The university said the center is China’s first research and application platform dedicated to drones operating at high altitude. It is also positioned as part of efforts to spur low-altitude economic development and industrial growth across China’s autonomous regions.
SCMP Economy also reported that senior military officials from aviation rescue and emergency response teams attended the centre’s opening ceremony. The move follows China’s launch, in September last year, of its first high-altitude uncrewed equipment test base in Ngari prefecture, also known as Ali, a strategically important area in western Tibet that borders India.