From July 31 to August 31, 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) is inviting public feedback on its draft Provisional Regulations on Radar Radio Management. These new rules are set to impact all radar and radar-equipped products operating within China’s borders.
The proposed regulations specify frequency bands for various radar applications, including aviation, meteorology, maritime and land traffic, small target detection, disaster prevention in hydrology and geology, short-range detection, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The draft also details the radio frequency standards that radar transmission and reception equipment must meet. Any radar device—whether manufactured domestically or imported—will need to obtain model approval from the national radio management authority through the SRRC (State Radio Regulatory Commission) certification process.
Regarding data security, the proposed regulations place responsibility on regional radio management agencies throughout China to oversee the data collection and processing activities of licensed radar systems. These agencies will also be required to carry out regular security risk assessments.
The new rules are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2025. Radar systems that have already been licensed or legally acquired before January 1, 2026, may continue operating until their frequency licenses expire or the equipment is decommissioned. After January 1, 2026, all radar equipment must adhere to the new model approval requirements.
As radar technology becomes increasingly essential across a range of industries—from automotive and aviation to industrial automation and consumer electronics—these rules will soon govern all radar-equipped products in China. It is crucial for international manufacturers to ensure that their radar products meet the specified technical standards and obtain the required SRRC certification.
Moreover, the draft regulations suggest the introduction of new requirements for assessing the security of data collected by radar systems. While the details of these assessments have yet to be fully outlined, this indicates that additional compliance measures could be introduced in the near future.
