Drones are delivering food and drinks to tourists in Shenzhen ahead of the APEC summit. China now leads in commercial drone logistics, with millions of registered aircraft. "It feels quite novel," said visitor Liew Kee Ho. However, Meituan suspended these drone services for 10 days starting on November 11.
SHENZHEN, China, Nov 13 (Reuters) - A steady hum fills the air around busy tourist areas in China's southern tech hug of Shenzhen, which is set to host world leaders at next week's APEC summit.
It is the sound of a fleet of drones crisscrossing the sky, delivering takeout food, coffee and bubble tea to tourists who scan QR codes and order to parks and scenic spots.
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"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, supported by a vast manufacturing base, government backing for the so-called low-altitude economy and rapidly spreading delivery networks.
The term refers to airspace up to a height of about 1,000 m (3,300 ft).
Civil aviation authorities said 3.29 million drones had been registered by the end of 2025, with annual drone flight hours rose nearly 70%, to 45.3 million.
"I think, in places like parks, it is quite necessary (to have drone delivery)," said another tourist, Qin Pei, as it was hard for food delivery drivers to track down patrons in such areas.
"This set-up is also particularly well-suited for the kind of extreme heat we see in China," added the 40-year-old. "So it makes much more sense to use machines."
But in Shenzhen, at least, the summit will briefly banish such convenience.
Meituan has said it suspended drone deliveries there for 10 days from November 11, at the request of regulators, and it has not set a resumption date. Routes in other cities are unaffected.
Reporting by Xihao Jiang and Casey Hall; Editing by Clarence Fernandez
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Casey is the Shanghai bureau chief and a senior correspondent covering companies in China, reporting on the biggest issues facing local and global businesses operating in the world's second largest economy. The Australian-born journalist has been based in Shanghai since 2007.