Chinese deploys radars, drones in border areas

China has deployed an integrated frontier monitoring system consisting of advanced radars and drones in many of its border areas, a media report said on Friday.

"Our system has been adopted by border defence units in Xinjiang, Yunnan and many other regions to curb illegal border crossings and drug trafficking," said Mao Weichen of the Southwestern Institute of Technology and Physics in Chengdu, Sichuan province, adding that: "Users also include some airports and military bases."

Mao said the system integrates electro-optical devices, radars, communications equipment, command-and-control instruments and tools for image analysis. Cooperating with patrol teams, it is capable of performing round-the-clock, all-weather surveillance of illegal cross-border movements, China.org reported.

People trying to cross the border will be detected by the system, which then automatically notifies soldiers, he said, adding that the system can also be used in coastal policing if it is equipped with sea-scanning radar.

"Compared with traditional border monitoring networks that mainly depend on video surveillance, our system has a wider coverage and more deterrence thanks to the use of drones and acoustic weapons," he said.

China in the recent years have seen a sudden surge in cross-border crimes, especially illegal crossings and drug trafficking.