(Yicai Global) Nov. 24 -- China's first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) defense system went into operation at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport yesterday, using electromagnetic interference to keep drones outside no-fly zones near the airport and reduce safety hazards.

The system monitors low-altitude runway airspace for takeoff and landing within a field eight kilometers in diameter, online news outlet SouthCN reported. It can detect and locate any drone within three seconds after it is switched on -- before it even gets chance to take off. The system then automatically adjusts the frequency and direction of the electromagnetic interference to drive the drone away or force it to land.

The anti-drone system can also monitor and record surveillance footage 24 hours a day in all weather conditions, without interfering with other equipment, a technician at the airport said.

Guangdong police enacted a set of rules for drone flight safety management in June, prohibiting the flight of UAVs within 10 kilometers either side of a runway and 20 kilometers either end. The police will take measures to enforce the rules it necessary, it said.