China’s industry ministry unveiled a roadmap on Thursday, Sept. 11, to strengthen the smart electric vehicle industry and deploy autonomous-driving vehicles at scale by 2030. The plan covers highways, urban expressways and selected city roads, while seeking to develop multiple Chinese automakers ranked among the world’s top 10 by sales and raise the global profile of Chinese brands. It also aims to give China a stronger role in international automotive standards and reinforce the sector’s position as an economic pillar, with autonomous-driving vehicles reaching higher safety levels than human drivers. The ministry will tighten rules covering vehicle production, road safety, self-driving systems and software upgrades, while considering special approval routes for key components and low-volume vehicles. It plans closer oversight of vehicle and battery capacity, action against overinvestment and inefficient capacity, stronger antitrust and product-quality enforcement, and limits on inappropriate local-government incentives. New guidance will support compliant overseas expansion, while Chinese and foreign companies will be encouraged to cooperate on vehicle and key-component research, investment and global market expansion.