China “encourages exploration, tolerates failure, ensures safety, and opposes monopoly” when it comes to developing its autonomous driving industry, said China’s Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng at a press conference held Thursday.
The ministry has allowed Beijing, Chongqing and Xi’an to build closed testing grounds for autonomous driving.
Last year, China issued a guideline to regulate road tests for autonomous vehicles and another on the development of closed testing grounds.
Currently, Chinese tech companies, with Baidu as a pioneer and automakers including Volkswagen and domestic Geely and Changan are all working on developing self-driving vehicles.