In February, police in Fremont, California, used a DJI Technology drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera to locate an emotionally troubled boy who had gone missing at night. After running away from school, the deaf teenager hid in a field where the drone found him, and helped return him to safety.

DJI, the drone manufacturer based in the south China city of Shenzhen, hopes stories like this one will blunt mounting suspicions, increasingly restrictive regulations and other collateral damage from the deteriorating US-China relationship that is threatening its business.