China's road ahead for self-driving cars - Mark Schaub

Mark Schaub

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has published last week an ambitious draft road map for the development of self-driving cars in the coming decades. Lawyer Mark Schaub summarizes the latest details of the fast-moving central planning office on the China Law Insight.

Mark Schaub:

The Draft Strategy sets out the goal for China to establish independently controllable technology innovation systems for intelligent vehicles. These systems will include break-through key technologies, testing appraisal technology and development of a cross industrial ecosystem. 

In this regard China’s plans includes the development of a network of road and facilities for intelligent vehicles, including infrastructure, wireless telecommunications networks for vehicles to cover the whole enormous country, establishment of a nationwide basic mapping system for vehicles and big data cloud computing platforms for intelligent vehicles. In comparison the UK government has recently announced funds in its budget for autonomous cars including hi-tech projects, research on artificial intelligence, for electric car charging points and to boost clean car sales – but no funds earmarked for the development of the physical infrastructure to enable mass autonomous driving.[3] 

Crucially, the NDRC recognizes that not only physical infrastructure is required but also legal infrastructure. The NDRC states China will eliminate legal barriers for market access to intelligent vehicles, issue regulations on autonomous vehicle road testing on public roads and strengthen research for autonomous driving systems and clarify legal liability in respect of traffic accidents, amend China’s road traffic law to allow for intelligent vehicles, adjust China’s laws and regulations to allow for mapping for intelligent vehicles, establish intelligent vehicles safety management system, strengthen vehicle cybersecurity and protect privacy. 

NDRC has set 15 days for public comment on the Draft Strategy. This period will expire by 20 January 2018. 

The Draft Strategy notes the development of intelligent vehicles is a matter of significance for China and that it is essentially a now or never chance to allow China to overtake global incumbents in the auto industry and taking a leadership role.

More at the China Law Insight. Mark Schaub is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more experts on innovation at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.  

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China's new top-planner did not perform well - Victor Shih

Victor Shin

Amid the reshuffle of China's top-officials, He Lifeng will take the helm at the powerful National Development and Reform Commission. But some senior analysts doubted his skills as a planner. Just look at his work in Tianjin, says political analist Victor Shih in AP.

AP

And yet, in the selection of He as top economic planner, some political observers saw a throwback to a retrograde model of wasteful spending and runaway borrowing that many policymakers in the party blame for dragging down China's economy. 

As the No. 2 party official, He oversaw a building spree in the coastal city of Tianjin that was envisioned to be a new financial hub to rival Manhattan but now sits unoccupied, said Victor Shih, a political scientist at the University of California, San Diego. 

"He Lifeng presided over the largest ghost city in China and built even more empty office towers in it," Shih said. "His reform credentials are questionable to say the least."

More in AP.

Victor Shih is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more political experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

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Market-driven reform: much left to do - Sara Hsu

Sara Hsu

Much reform to a market-driven economy has been achieved in 2015, wrote the National Development and Reform Commission’s (NDRC) Report on the Implementation of the 2015 Plan. But there is much left to do says financial analyst Sara Hsu in the Diplomat.

Sara Hsu:

Still, as the NDRC reports, there are many challenges facing China’s economy, including lagging demand, rising costs and declining profitability, and hidden unemployment. Supply-side structural problems, including overcapacity, present barriers to growth. This poses a challenge to ongoing reform in 2016. 

Going forward, therefore, the NDRC seeks to create more than 10 million new urban jobs this year to address the issue of hidden unemployment, maintain proactive fiscal policy to make up for demand shortages, promote supply-side innovations, and again promote entrepreneurship and innovation. The economy will become more market-based, as government restrictions are reduced and private investments are given equal treatment. Operating costs and the tax burden of businesses are to be reduced. 

Chinese authorities will continue to promote consumer spending, with target growth in retail sales of consumer goods of 11 percent for 2016. This will be done by increasing the incomes of low and middle-income groups as well as setting industry standards to protect consumers’ rights. New areas of consumption shall be encouraged, particularly in the tourism and technology industries. Reform of the financial system will continue, diversifying financial institutions and stepping up the reform of state-owned banks, as will reform of prices and removing price controls in the power, petroleum, natural gas, and transportation industries. 

Much has been done, and much has yet to be done. Cultivating market forces somewhat more rapidly may reduce the control the government must maintain over the economy. Certainly, streamlining the government approval process and encouraging market forces in particular areas makes sense. Encouraging a larger spread of markets will reduce the burden on the government, especially at a time when policymakers are challenged with a simultaneous economic slowdown and economic restructuring.

More in the Diplomat.

Sara Hsu is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers´request form.

Are you looking for more political experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

New York Times journalist Ian Johnson discusses the plan for a new mega city, including Beijing and Tianjin

 

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