Lawmakers want Biden to reject export licenses for DJI

[Dangerly]

A group of 15 Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to our Defense Secretary saying that a recent tear down of a DJI drone found U.S. manufactured components. They wrote that:

"the Defense Department should not be recommending approval of export control licenses to DJI... America's adversaries are using DJI drones that contain American cutting-edge technology to harm U.S. national security interests."

I think their overall attitude was summed up well by Representative Elise Stefanik who wrote:

"It is time to end Communist China’s weaponization of American ingenuity."

That's a new argument I haven't heard before. I was a bit confused by DJI's response which talked about the original reason they were on the export control list, having to do with alleged human rights violations which they strongly denied.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/lawmakers-want-biden-reject-export-licenses-chinese-drone-maker-dji-2023-12-18/

 

[mavic3usa]

Is there anyone with any power that is defending DJI?

 

[MS Coast]

A group of 15 Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to our Defense Secretary saying that a recent tear down of a DJI drone found U.S. manufactured components. They wrote that:


I think their overall attitude was summed up well by Representative Elise Stefanik who wrote:



That's a new argument I haven't heard before. I was a bit confused by DJI's response which talked about the original reason they were on the export control list, having to do with alleged human rights violations which they strongly denied.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/lawmakers-want-biden-reject-export-licenses-chinese-drone-maker-dji-2023-12-18/

What American made components are being exported and incorporated into DJI drones?

Has anyone found a copy of the letter with the claims?

 

[Starz]

This ongoing battle will probably boil down to just how large DJI’s wallet is and the percentage of sales in their US market. I‘d be interested in seeing a breakdown of how much of their product goes to what regions if anyone has seen that little gem.

 

[Vic Moss]

Is there anyone with any power that is defending DJI?

We're trying: Drone Advocacy Alliance - Home

 

[PHZ]

Vic:

Just signed up. DJI owners/users are in seious trouble. This whole thing is smacks of McCarthyistic ignorance and drum beating.

 

[Vic Moss]

Vic:

Just signed up. DJI owners/users are in seious trouble. This whole thing is smacks of McCarthyistic ignorance and drum beating.

Thanks for joining DAA. And yeah, it's straight out of Senator McCarthy's playbook.

To illustrate the level of ignorance we're dealing with, I had a Marco Rubio staffer say to my face (in Rubio's own conference room) that he's love it if, "DJI was wiped off the face of the earth".

Absolute hysteria at levels not seen in D.C. since the 50s.

 

[PHZ]

You may want to ask him if he knows where his cell phone and computer were built. It is incredible what people will believe without evidence.

 

[NoBozos]

The letter makes claims unsubstantiated by any actual evidence. (Edit: other than a non-functioning LinkedIn post) Most links provided in the letter are just general news item about DJI, make no mention of any US parts and technology. If anything, the article about components would suggest the opposite. (And, never put a period at the end of a URL)

But Ms. Stefanik has never impressed me as a rational being.

 

[NMB_FreeBird]

LOL, McCarthy was voted out as Speaker of the House and is stepping down at the end of 2023.

 

[Torque]

LOL, McCarthy was voted out as Speaker of the House and is stepping down at the end of 2023.

Wrong McCarthy....
US History?

McCarthyism and the Red Scare | Miller Center

The paranoia about the internal Communist threat—what we call the Red Scare—reached a fever pitch between 1950 and 1954, when Senator Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin, a right-wing Republican, launched a series of highly publicized probes. Journalists, intellectuals, and even many of Eisenhower’s...

millercenter.org

 

[SWTSU]

We're trying: Drone Advocacy Alliance - Home

“”You have communicated with the following:

• Senator John Cornyn III (email)
• Senator Ted Cruz (email)
• Representative Michael McCaul Sr. (email)””

Email sent, thanks for posting

 

[zeusfl]

I can't understand some times law makers. They are concerned about security and privacy.
We all own chinese smart TVs and appliances that can do the same thing than drones does with the data. Chinese even have our floor plans in our houses and pictures from the houses inside while you use your smart vacuum cleaner like Roomba, robot or shark for example.

I hope an american company start making real competitive drones better than DJI and i will move my fleet to that one. Anyway I am not buying DJI drones anymore.

 

[Chip]

What American made components are being exported and incorporated into DJI drones?

I would like to know the answer to this as well. Wouldn't that be a hoot if it turns out DJI has been using US technology to make its drones fly?

 

[zeusfl]

I remember in Florida even the American made drone companies had to admit in the hearings that 30-40% of the drones chipsets are chinese chips that can have code embedded.

 

[Chip]

This is from 2017:
Da Jiang Innovations (DJI) Likely Providing U.S. Critical Infrastructure and Law Enforcement Data to Chinese

https://info.publicintelligence.net/ICE-DJI-China.pdf

Some parts seem far fetched (e.g. wine country crop surveillance) but others less so, like "dumping" to seize market share, embedding in critical government sectors like law enforcement and emergency services.

 

[Starz]

I hope an american company start making real competitive drones better than DJI

Keep me posted when that is found. ( not going to hold my breath )

 

[zeusfl]

Me either !!!

 

[MS Coast]

This is from 2017:
Da Jiang Innovations (DJI) Likely Providing U.S. Critical Infrastructure and Law Enforcement Data to Chinese

https://info.publicintelligence.net/ICE-DJI-China.pdf

Some parts seem far fetched (e.g. wine country crop surveillance) but others less so, like "dumping" to seize market share, embedding in critical government sectors like law enforcement and emergency services.

Hah. I've never seen any hint of DJI reducing prices (unfortunately) to dump product and seize market share.

 

[Chip]

Has anyone found a copy of the letter with the claims?

I believe its this one. https://www.ernst.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/final_1stefanik_letter_to_secaustinredji.pdf