China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology unveiled a plan for the intelligent electric vehicle industry on Thursday, September 10, aiming for widespread use of autonomous driving vehicles by 2030. Under the plan, China will accelerate the deployment of autonomous driving technology on highways, urban expressways and some city roads, with the goal that autonomous vehicles meet higher safety standards than human driving. The ministry said the Chinese government aims to elevate the automotive industry into one of the pillars of the economy, develop several Chinese automakers into the world's top 10 by sales, increase global acceptance of Chinese car brands, and expand China's role in setting international automotive standards. At the same time, China will tighten regulations on vehicle production, road safety, autonomous driving systems and software updates, and will consider special-case approval processes for key components and vehicles produced in small volumes. The ministry added that China will strengthen oversight of vehicle and battery production capacity, curb excessive investment, promote industry consolidation and eliminate inefficient capacity, as well as step up antitrust enforcement, improve product quality supervision, promote fair competition and rein in inappropriate incentives from local governments. For overseas expansion, the ministry will draw up guidelines for Chinese automakers to comply with the regulations of other countries, and will promote cooperation between Chinese and foreign companies in research and development of vehicles and key components, investment, and global market expansion.