On October 22, Guo Shougang, Director of the First Equipment Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, stated at the 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicle Conference that global driver assistance has achieved large-scale application, and autonomous driving is about to enter the commercial promotion stage.
"Global intelligent connected vehicles have entered a new stage where large-scale deployment of assisted driving and exploration of autonomous driving are proceeding in parallel. Autonomous driving is at a critical period of crossing from usable to user-friendly," Guo Shougang said.
In Guo Shougang's view, intelligent connected vehicles are accelerating the reshaping of the industry ecosystem. Automobiles are no longer merely a means of transportation but are accelerating their transformation into mobile energy storage units, mobile digital spaces, and embodied intelligent agents. This also means that intelligent connected vehicles have transcended the scope of the traditional automotive industry and become service carriers capable of continuous evolution through the integration of innovative technologies.
The innovative integrated applications of intelligent connected vehicles have imposed new demands on the industrial governance system. Particularly against the backdrop of widespread application of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and information communications, intelligent connected vehicles are deeply integrating with smart cities and smart transportation. The industrial boundaries and security boundaries are also continuously expanding, with systems becoming more complex, testing and verification more difficult, and subjects of rights and responsibilities more diverse, posing new requirements for the construction of the industrial governance system.
"These new characteristics of automotive policy and regulatory work require the global automotive industry to face them together and solve them collaboratively," Guo Shougang proposed.
According to Guo Shougang, as of now, China has issued 90 relevant standards, issued 62 project approval plans, and declared 24 project approvals. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has advanced the research and release of multiple mandatory national standards. "The release and implementation of these standards have established a unified safety baseline for products, which is of great significance for regulating technology research and application and safeguarding the sustainable development of the industry."
In September 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and eight other departments issued the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Intelligent Connected New Energy Vehicle Industry," proposing that by 2030, China's advantages in the entire industrial chain of intelligent connected new energy vehicles will be further consolidated, and the country will enter the ranks of world automotive powers.
"We hope to use these five years to promote more coordinated and efficient development of China's entire intelligent connected new energy vehicle industrial chain. By 2030, the proportion of new energy passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles in total new vehicle sales in their respective segments in the domestic market will reach 70% and 40% respectively, and vehicles with autonomous driving functions will achieve large-scale application," Guo Shougang stated.
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