China’s State Council approved on June 12 a major revision of the Road Traffic Safety Law, including a dedicated chapter on autonomous vehicles, a first at the national level. The draft law clarifies liability distribution among drivers, vehicle owners, system operators, and developers in case of accidents. A new mandatory safety standard, GB 44721-2026, effective July 1, 2027, establishes performance requirements for Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous systems. Major automakers including BYD, Geely, SAIC, XPeng, Li Auto, Xiaomi, and Baidu Apollo participated in drafting these standards. By actively contributing to the UN’s Global Technical Regulation on Automated Driving Systems, adopted in June 2026, China positions itself to export not just autonomous vehicles but its regulatory architecture.
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