China Helps Shape First Global Autonomous Driving Regulation

China played a leading role in drafting the world's first comprehensive technical regulation for automated and autonomous vehicles, known as the ADS GTR. The regulation was adopted at the 199th session of the UNECE World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) in Geneva, where China co‑chaired working groups and contributed core technical content, data from closed‑track and public‑road testing, and proposals on dynamic driving functions, human‑machine interaction, and validation methods.

The ADS GTR, developed jointly with the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Japan, sets unified technical requirements covering the entire product lifecycle of automated‑driving systems. China said it will use the global standard to accelerate mandatory national rules for Level 3 and Level 4 automated‑driving technologies, aiming to ensure safety and prevent misuse while aligning domestic standards with the new international framework.