Recently, a new draft guideline was unveiled to expand tests for autonomous driving vehicles in China, which analysts said will accelerate the healthy development of the industry and commercialization of related products and technologies.

The guideline, jointly unveiled by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Public Security, means that road tests for autonomous driving vehicles will be gradually carried out nationwide. Before the guideline, such work was usually promoted by local governments such as in Beijing and Shenzhen, Guangdong province, the experts added.

The move is also the latest signal that policies for internet-connected vehicles are becoming increasingly transparent and open in China, as the country aims to establish a beachhead in the strategically important sector.

The guideline, which is soliciting public feedback until Dec 1, said the two ministries will select eligible vehicle manufacturers and internet-connected vehicles equipped with autonomous driving functionality that meet the conditions for mass production to carry out tests on selected public roads in pilot cities.

The autonomous driving function mentioned in the guideline refers to level 3 and level 4, which designate conditional autonomous driving and highly autonomous driving, respectively.