China: Ministry of Science and Technology released Guidelines on Ethics for Driving Automation Technology

On 23 July 2025, the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (MOST), through the National Science and Technology Ethics Committee Artificial Intelligence Ethics Sub-Committee, released the Guidelines on Ethics for Research and Development of Driving Automation Technology. The Guidelines establish a framework to regulate the research, development, and application of automated driving systems in China. The Guidelines define terminology including the taxonomy of driving automation from Level 0 emergency assistance to Level 5 full automation, and distinguish between advanced driver assistance and automated driving functions. The Guidelines further set out basic principles such as prioritising human centred development, safety, fairness, and transparency. Requirements include legal compliance, societal benefit enhancement, risk control, continuous review and improvement, and privacy protection, with different requirements differentiated according to the level of automation.