BEIJING, June 2 -- China on Friday published its first mandatory national standard for the civil drone industry to ensure the sector's healthy development.

The new policy, due to take effect on June 1, 2024, will help address the quality and safety risks of civil unmanned aerial vehicles, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation.

The standard has mandatory technical requirements covering 17 areas from electronic fences to remote identification and emergency disposal processes. It will guide the design, production and testing of drones and help ensure user safety.

The standard is applicable to micro, light and small drones, and does not apply to model airplanes.