China's top legislature opens first reading of autonomous-vehicle rules

China's top legislature on Tuesday opened the first reading of a draft amendment to the Road Traffic Safety Law, the country's main traffic statute, that would add a dedicated chapter on autonomous vehicles.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, began reviewing the draft at its ongoing four-day session, scheduled to run through Friday. A first reading is the initial review stage in China's legislature, before further revisions and a final vote; it is not a public consultation. The new chapter sets the conditions for autonomous vehicles to operate on public roads, the principles for handling traffic violations, and the insurance arrangements that would govern them.

The current Road Traffic Safety Law dates from 2003 and was previously amended in 2007, 2011, and 2021. The amendment was already on the NPC Standing Committee's 2026 legislative work plan, published in May.

Separately, L3 and L4 national safety standards for autonomous-driving systems were published earlier this month under a parallel Ministry of Industry and Information Technology track.

The draft has not been enacted. The wire does not specify which autonomy levels the chapter covers, what liability model it would impose, or how retrofits would be treated.