MIIT Holds Key Automakers' Meeting to Enforce Fair Competition and Strengthen Autonomous Driving Safety Assessments

On July 17, the Department of Equipment Industry I under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) convened a symposium with key automobile manufacturers to deploy critical tasks, including standardizing competition in the automotive industry, enhancing product production consistency and quality-safety standards, and conducting safety risk inspections and supervisory checks. The meeting required automakers to firmly resist irrational competition, strengthen product testing, verification, and safety assessments, and uphold the bottom line of production consistency and quality-safety. Specific measures include: First, conducting thorough inspections for product safety risks and systematically identifying issues related to production consistency, reliability, durability, and testing/validation of new technologies, followed by rectification and enhanced supply chain management; Second, strengthening testing and validation of innovative product designs, fully assessing safety risks, prudently advancing the application of new technologies in vehicles, ensuring compliance with national standards and requirements for safeguarding personal and property safety, and refraining from exaggerated or false advertising; Third, reinforcing safety evaluations of combined driver-assistance and autonomous driving functions, enhancing capabilities in functional safety, safety of intended functionality (SOTIF), cybersecurity, data security, and software updates, and improving monitoring and response mechanisms for safety incidents. The meeting emphasized that enterprises must adhere to the principle of “safety first, quality foremost,” effectively fulfill their responsibilities for product quality-safety and public safety, and implement risk prevention measures throughout product design validation, manufacturing, and after-sales service to protect consumers’ legitimate rights and interests. Going forward, MIIT will collaborate with relevant departments to launch a campaign focused on improving production consistency and quality of road motor vehicles, addressing prominent issues, strengthening entry reviews and testing/validation of innovative designs, and conducting supervisory inspections of manufacturers and testing institutions regarding their product safety assurance capabilities and production consistency. Entities found non-compliant will be dealt with strictly in accordance with laws and regulations to firmly uphold the safety baseline for automotive products. Officials from the Department of Equipment Industry I, the Equipment Industry Development Center, and key automobile manufacturers attended the meeting.