Autonomous Driving: China Passes Mandatory Safety Rules for Levels 3 and 4 From July 2027, new regulations for highly and fully automated driving will apply in China. Manufacturers must demonstrate stricter testing and driver controls. The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has published a new, binding national safety standard for autonomous driving systems. The directive, officially approved by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the national standardization authority, will come into force on July 1, 2027, according to the state news agency Xinhua. This creates the first uniform and legally binding framework in Beijing for the series production of modern automation technologies in road traffic. With the measure, the Middle Kingdom wants to underscore its claim not only to be technologically but also regulatorily a global leader in highly and fully automated driving. The new standard specifically applies to vehicles of international categories M and N. This means that passenger cars and buses for passenger transport, as well as commercial vehicles for goods transport, are covered by the provisions, provided they are equipped with Level 3 or Level 4 autonomous driving systems. In Level 3, the system takes over control under certain conditions, but still prompts the human to take over when needed. Level 4 describes extensive full automation in defined operating areas, where no human intervention is required. Automated parking systems are explicitly not covered by the Chinese directive. They are regulated separately. Specifications for Lifecycle and Driver Control A cornerstone of the specifications is the obligation for vehicle manufacturers to continuously improve safety mechanisms throughout the entire product lifecycle. During the development and testing phase, the regulations prescribe a comprehensive validation program. It consists of detailed computer simulations, tests on closed test tracks, and practical driving tests in real road traffic. The goal is