BEIJING — China will promote the use of drones in its transportation sector to improve efficiency, safety and quality.

“We are currently making plans to develop drone technology and drafting technical standards,” Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng said on Feb 7.

Li believes drones bring bright prospects for transportation as they have already been used in sectors including self-steering boats and automatic rail transit.

The ministry is building test sites to carry out more research, said Li.

Developing transport in China is one of the goals set at the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress in October 2017, putting it high on the government agenda.

China aims to lead the world in terms of transport quality and efficiency, technological innovation and international influence.