The 2025 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference(WICV 2025)kicked off in Beijing on October 16, 2025, at the Beiren Etrong International Exhibition & Convention Center, Beijing E-Town.Themed “Pooling Wisdom, Boundless Connectivity”, this year’s Conference is hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Transport (MOT), and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality. The event is co-organized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Equipment Industry Development Center (EIDC), Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Administrative Committee of Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, China Automotive Technology and Research Center Co., Ltd. (CATARC), China Society of Automotive Engineers (China-SAE), China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), China Center for Information Industry Development (CCID), and Research Institute of Highway Ministry of Transport (RIOH). The Conference aims to further strengthen its role as a bridge and linkin the intelligent connected vehicle (ICV)industry,bringing together global governmental, corporate, and industry resources to promote cross-sector collaboration and development.

Yin Li, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee; Liu Wei, Secretary of Party Leadership Group and Minister ofthe MOT; and Xin Guobin, Member of Party Leadership Group and Vice Minister of the MIIT, attendedand delivered speeches. Wan Gang, President of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), deliveredakeynote report. Other distinguished guests included Qi Yanjun,Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice Minister for Daily Operationsof the Ministry of Public Security(MPS); Jin Wei, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Vice Mayor of Beijing; KimYoon-duk, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the ROK; Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu, Minister of Transport and Communications of Timor-Leste; Tefera Derbew Yimam, Ambassador of Ethiopia to China; Hildegard Müller, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA); and Sigrid de Vries, Director General of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). The Opening Ceremony was moderated by Yin Yong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Mayor of Beijing.

More than 4,000 participantsattended the event, including senior officials from relevant ministries and departments of the Chinese government, Beijing municipal and district leaders, foreign diplomats stationed in China, representatives of international organizations and institutions, experts, scholars, senior executives from leading ICV enterprises, and media workers.

During the Opening Ceremony, the Phased Achievements of the “Vehicle-Road-Cloud Integration” Pilot Program of Intelligent Connected Vehiclewere released, and the construction of the National Artificial Intelligence Application Pilot Base(Automotive Focus) was launched.

At the Plenary Session, Miao Wei, Member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Economic Affairs of the CPPCC National Committee and Former Minister of Industry and Information Technology; Sigrid de Vries, Director General of theACEA; and Wu Hequan, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, delivered keynote reports. Other speakers included Yang Qing, Chairman of Dongfeng Motor Group Company Limited; Yang Jie, Chairman of China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd.; Habib Turki,Chief Development Officer of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA); Liu Yigong, Member of BOD and President ofChina FAW Group Co., Ltd.; Zhu Huarong, Chairman of China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd.; Jochen Goller, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AGCustomer, Brands, Sales; Zhang Jianyong, Chairman of Beijing Automotive Group Co., Ltd.; Feng Xingya, Chairman and President of Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd.; Eric Li, Chairman of Geely Holding Group; Zhang Xinghai, Founder and Chairman of SERES GroupCo., Ltd.; and Lei Jun, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Xiaomi Group, among other leaders from over ten global institutions and enterprises who delivered keynote speeches.

Zhao Fuquan, Honorable Lifetime President of the International Federation of Automotive Engineering Societies (FISITA), andProfessoratTsinghua University, engaged in a panel discussion with William Li, Founder, Chairman and CEO of NIO; Thomas Ulbrich, CTO of Volkswagen Group China and CEO of Volkswagen China Technology Company (VCTC); YuKai, Founder and CEO of Horizon Robotics; and Cao Xudong, CEO of Momenta, on the theme “Cool-Headed Reflections on the Autonomous Driving Boom:Safety and Development”.

A series of events were held on October 16, including the Automotive Industry Policy Roundtable, Automotive Industry International Cooperation Meeting, and Automotive Industry Visit by Diplomatic Missions. Government officials, industry association leaders, and corporate representatives from around the world held in-depth exchanges on key issues shaping the sector, exploring strategies and initiatives to drive the growth of theICVindustry. The Conference, which runs through October 18, will feature six thematic forums, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Industrial Coordinated Development Meeting, multiple side events, and the Closing Ceremony, offering a comprehensive showcase of the latest achievements in the ICV industry.