Overview
- MIIT published the new national standard on Tuesday and said the rules will take effect on July 1, 2027, creating a formal safety baseline for deployed level 3 and level 4 systems.
- The rules require a mandatory deactivation override and clearly defined, safe activation and deactivation procedures so humans or operators can regain control when needed.
- For systems that rely on a human back-up driver the vehicle must monitor the driver’s readiness to take over, and manufacturers must show their systems meet the safety performance of human drivers.
- Buyers must be told specific system limits including level of automation, capability range and control strategies, and manufacturers face testing requirements covering design, production and post-deployment use.
- The standards respond to past failures including a 2025 fatal assisted-driving crash and robotaxi malfunctions in Wuhan, follow a UN vehicle regulation adopted in June 2026 that China backed, and sit alongside moves by other governments to restrict Chinese suppliers on security grounds.