washington — 

DJI, a Chinese company that produces drones, is opening its first major retail location in New York City, despite accusations of involvement in human rights violations and connections to the Chinese military.

DJI’s flagship store in North America, located on Fifth Avenue in New York, boasts a futuristic and minimalistic design that invites customers to browse and shop. The company is known for its innovative drone and camera technology, and prides itself as a global leader in this industry.

Christina Zhang, senior director of corporate strategy at DJI, stated that there is an increasing demand for our consumer products in North America as we continuously expand our portfolio.

Based in Shenzhen, China, the organization was established in 2006. DJI, also referred to as Da Jiang Innovations, has risen to become the biggest producer of drones in the world, achieving global market leadership in under two decades. Currently, the company supplies 70% of the global consumer drone market and almost 80% of the U.S. consumer drone market.

Abuse allegations

On March 5, the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP), a research and advocacy group based in Washington D.C., published a report called “Surveillance Tech Series: DJI’s Ties to Human Rights Violations in East Turkistan” on the occasion of DJI’s official store opening in New York.

The report accuses DJI of participating in widespread surveillance and infringement on the rights of Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and other Muslim populations in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China, referred to as East Turkistan by the group.

According to a report from UHRP, DJI has been participating in mass surveillance efforts in East Turkistan and has provided public security agencies with equipment to monitor and target Uyghur, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz individuals. In the years between 2019 and 2022, Xinjiang’s public security departments have made 7 purchases from DJI worth nearly US$300,000.

According to the report, DJI has been selling drones to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a paramilitary organization, despite being sanctioned by the U.S. government for its involvement in human rights violations against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.

The report from the Uyghur Human Rights Project stated that there were tender offers totaling US$47,000 for DJI drones for the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, as evidenced by other documents.

The report also mentioned that a DJI drone recorded a video at a train station in southern Xinjiang, showing multiple individuals who appeared to be Uyghur prisoners, blindfolded and restrained. The video, which was initially posted on YouTube in 2019, received significant coverage from the media.

Nuzigum Setiwaldi, the author of the report, stated to Voice of America that it is morally wrong to endorse a company that deliberately commits severe violations of rights.

Numerous Western countries, including the U.S., have accused China of committing genocide in the Xinjiang region, specifically targeting Uyghurs and other Muslim communities. The United Nations human rights office published a report stating that the human rights abuses occurring in Xinjiang could potentially be considered crimes against humanity. China has responded by denouncing Western nations for spreading false information about human rights in both Xinjiang and Tibet.

A representative from DJI informed VOA that their company has not participated in any actions, such as selling, distributing, or developing products, that would infringe upon or mistreat human rights.

According to a DJI representative in an email statement, just like other companies, we cannot dictate the usage of our products as they are purchased as is. Nonetheless, our extensive efforts in product safety and security over the years have proven that our products are designed solely for peaceful and civilian purposes.

Is it a Chinese military corporation or not?

The Washington Post stated in 2022 that DJI concealed connections to funding from the Chinese government.

In the same year, the U.S. Department of Defense classified DJI as a “Chinese military company.” As of January, DJI remains on the list of such companies operating in the United States. The department said it maintains companies on the list to counter China’s Military-Civil Fusion strategy, which supports the modernization of the Chinese army.

Last July, Loretta Lynch, the former U.S. Attorney General who led the Justice Department from 2015 to 2017 and is currently working at the Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison law firm, sent a letter to the Defense Department advocating for the removal of her client, DJI, from the Chinese military companies list. Reuters reported this development.

Lynch emphasized the significance and time-sensitive need for this action due to the widespread utilization and reliance on DJI products by numerous American parties.

CISA issued a warning in January about the potential danger to U.S. national security and critical infrastructure posed by drones manufactured in China.

According to CISA’s cybersecurity guidance on Chinese-made drones or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), the 2017 National Intelligence Law of the PRC requires Chinese companies to collaborate with state intelligence agencies by granting them access to data gathered both within China and globally.

According to VOA, DJI’s representative stated that the company is not affiliated with the Chinese military.

DJI has stated that they are one of the limited drone companies that openly opposes and discourages the use of drones in combat.

According to a DJI representative, we do not seek out business opportunities for military purposes. Our partners, including distributors and resellers worldwide, have also pledged to adhere to this policy when selling and utilizing our products.

Source: voanews.com