China's military has undergone profound changes in the past decade, with dramatic upgrades in equipment and weaponry. The civil-military integration strategy has driven this transformation to boost efficiency and opens a new market for commercial success. One particular case is global arms sales, particularly drones. Today in our special series Beyond the Wall, CGTN correspondent Han Bin gets exclusive access to China's core strength of unmanned systems and the change in mindset that triggered the technological breakthroughs.

This is the company behind China's military drones—the "CH", or Rainbow, series. And this is the man who created them.

SHI WEN, CHIEF DESIGNER CHINA ACADEMY OF AEROSPACE AERODYNAMICS "Rainbow 3 was developed in 2005 and exported in 2007. It's a mid-range reconnaissance strike drone. It has a 12-hour range. Maximum take-off weight is 650 kilos. So it can carry 2 missiles and has an excellent flight performance. Rainbow 4's advantages are long endurance and a heavy payload. It can carry 4 missiles or bombs. Its strong detection and attack capability reaches or exceeds the comprehensive capabilities of western drones like the US's Predator."

Shi Wen agrees his company has emerged as one of a handful of global leaders in the development of unmanned aerial systems. The creation of the Rainbow series drones reflects the ongoing reforms in China's military enterprises.

SHI WEN, CHIEF DESIGNER CHINA ACADEMY OF AEROSPACE AERODYNAMICS "This is our latest design of solar drone, with heights between 20 to 30 kilometers. Its endurance can go for months or even years in the future, something conventional drones can never achieve. Rainbow 5 is our new generation of drones, with stronger detection and strike capability, as well as excellent performance in both military and civilian applications, and greater payloads."

Shi Wen says Chinese military drones still lag behind some Western drones in certain technologies. So the strategy is to focus on what the competition lacks, say, height rather than speed. Design and production are tailored to customer demand. And pricing is very competitive.

SHI WEN, CHIEF DESIGNER CHINA ACADEMY OF AEROSPACE AERODYNAMICS "This exhibition hall displays all the missiles and bombs carried by the Rainbow series. Dual functions that combine both military and civilian purposes are key in our design. The result was a large expansion of civilian utilization of Rainbow drones. For example, Rainbow 3 is widely used for geophysical exploration. It can follow the terrain between 80-100 meters in mountainous areas at 600-700 meters above sea level. Rainbow 4 has been used in maritime applications. It can be used in marine management, emergency communications, forest fire prevention, pipeline detection, etc. These unmanned systems will be the trend of future. Military use can push technological development, while civilian use can promote the applications of military technology in a wider range of operations."

China's military is undergoing a new round of reforms under Xi Jinping's leadership. It's building a smarter and more competitive force. And civilian-military integration, common in the West, is listed as one of the priorities to help advance the economy. This has given China's home-grown military weaponry a more competitive edge.

HAN BIN BEIJING "Amid its military modernization, China has emerged as one of the global leaders in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles. These CH series have been sold to more than 10 countries. Developers hope to enter an expected larger civilian market, under the civil-military integration strategy."

Shi Wen says the development of artificial intelligence, and big data technology will boost the market of drones. He's confident civilian use will eventually outstrip military applications.

SHI WEN, CHIEF DESIGNER CHINA ACADEMY OF AEROSPACE AERODYNAMICS "Solar drones, with unlimited endurance and rear space height, will bring about revolutionary and disruptive transformations. We can regard them as '24-hour eyes' in the sky. So they can be widely used for inspection, data collection and surveillance."

The combination of military modernization and meeting civilian market demand is putting China's drone industry right on target. Han Bin, CGTN, Beijing.