BEIJING -- Beijing on Tuesday approved new regulations on autonomous vehicles, set to take effect on April 1, 2025, marking significant progress in advancing autonomous vehicle technologies in the Chinese capital.

The regulations, passed by the Standing Committee of Beijing Municipal People's Congress, explicitly encourage and support policies and measures for technological innovation and industrial development in autonomous vehicles.

The guidelines also cover areas such as infrastructure planning and construction, on-road traffic management and safety assurance, providing a clear regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles equipped with Level 3 and higher systems.

In recent years, Beijing has emerged as a national leader in autonomous vehicle development.

Since the launch of China's first high-level autonomous driving demonstration zone in September 2020, the city has successfully developed intelligent infrastructure across 600 square km. The capital is also home to leading companies in the field, including Baidu, Pony.ai and Neolix.