China strengthens oversight of smart vehicles for healthier industry development

Recently, China released a draft notice on strengthening recalls, production consistency supervision, and publicity regulations for intelligent connected new-energy vehicles (NEVs). The draft makes clear that when providing information on automation levels and system capabilities, companies must not misrepresent or exaggerate functions in a way that misleads consumers.

Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) - including adaptive cruise control, automatic lane changing, valet parking - today, have become standard features, particularly in NEVs. While these advances showcase technological innovation and open up new growth opportunities, some manufacturers' marketing claims have overstated system capabilities. This risks creating dangerous misconceptions - such as the belief that drivers can remove hands from wheels or disengage entirely during assisted driving operations.

Stronger regulation not only steers companies toward improving product quality, but also reminds drivers to approach assisted driving with the right mindset, reducing the risk of accidents.

Innovation knows no bounds, but safety remains the lifeline of the auto industry. From introducing a new national standard for electric vehicle batteries requiring them to be "non-flammable and non-explosive," to drafting technical standards for vehicle door handles, and to prohibiting companies from using remote upgrades to conceal defects, China has rolled out a series of strong measures to tighten the "safety valve" and fasten the "seat belt" for industry development.

For companies, the only way to gain trust and support in a competitive market is to put safety first throughout the entire chain, from research and development to marketing, ensuring that technological progress truly serves and benefits people.

As intelligent driving technologies advance, some worry that strict regulation might stifle innovation. The real issue, however, is not whether regulation is "too strict," but how to regulate in accordance with the law, so that safety and innovation remain balanced on the same scale.

Take Beijing's regulations on autonomous vehicles for example. The regulations encourage these vehicles to be used for personal transport, while also setting requirements for safety in operations, networks, and data. Today, Beijing's high-level autonomous driving demonstration zone has expanded from 60 to 600 square kilometers, with licenses issued for over 1,000 vehicles and cumulative test mileage exceeding 38 million kilometers.

Intelligent driving is a key direction for the auto industry, but technology maturity depends on extensive, long-term testing and training. Local practices across China show that by applying reform-oriented approaches, rule-of-law thinking, and pilot-based methods, regulators can guide research institutions and enterprises to balance short-term gains with long-term development, and innovation with safety, thus fostering an NEV sector that is both dynamic and well-regulated.

Safety is the foundation of development, and development in turn secures safety. This principle applies not only to automobiles but to all industries: innovation must never veer off the track of safety.

As intelligent vehicles speed down highways, regulatory frameworks must keep pace. As artificial intelligence permeates daily life, governance standards must evolve. As biomedicine ventures into uncharted waters, ethical and legal boundaries must remain firm.

Boarding the express train of technology is exhilarating, but only by strengthening the awareness and capacity for safe development can humans reach a future full of boundless possibilities.