A new peak in US-China tech rivalry? Tibet drone hub launches on Mount Everest

Centre’s establishment represents Beijing’s first research and application platform dedicated to drones operating at high altitudes

It also supports Beijing’s broader push for low-altitude economic development and industrial growth across autonomous regions, according to the university.

Several senior military officials from aviation rescue and emergency response teams attended the centre’s opening ceremony.

It followed the launch in September last year of China’s first high-altitude uncrewed equipment test base in Ngari prefecture, also known as Ali, a strategically important region in western Tibet bordering India.