On September 23, the press conference for the 2025 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference (WICV 2025) was held in Beijing. Attendees included Guo Shougang, Deputy Director-General of Department of Equipment Manufacturing Industries I and Level I Bureau Rank Official of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT); Su Guobin, Deputy Director-General of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology; Xing Fansheng, General Affairs Division Director of Department of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Transport (MOT); Qu Guochun, Director-General of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Equipment Industry Development Center (EIDC), and other relevant officials in charge. The press conference was presided over by Yao Zhenzhi, Deputy Director-General of the EIDC, with more than 50 media outlets in attendance.

Bringing Together Global Resources with Four Highlights

WICV 2025, co-hosted by the MIIT, the MOT, and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, is scheduled to take place from October 16 to 18 at the Beiren Etrong International Exhibition & Convention Center in Beijing E-Town. Themed “Pooling Wisdom for Boundless Connectivity”, the conference will further serve as a bridge or a link, connecting governments, businesses, and industry resources worldwide to advance cross-industry collaborative development.

According to Qu Guochun, WICV 2025 will adopt a renewed “3+3+6+N” framework, comprising: three plenary meetings, including the opening ceremony, the plenary session, and the closing ceremony; three special sessions, including Automotive Industry Policy Roundtable, Automotive Industry International Cooperation Meeting, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Coordinated Development Meeting; six thematic forums, covering key topics such as policy, technology, safety, artificial intelligence (AI), application, and data; and multiple side events focusing on hot issues such as chips, connected communications, infrastructure, auto insurance, and the industry ecosystem. During the conference, more than 200 policymakers, representatives of international organizations, academicians, and entrepreneurs from home and abroad will give keynote speechesand participatein high-level dialogues,result releases, and other exchangeactivities. These sessions willhighlightcutting-edge technologies, industry trends, practical applications, and innovation outcomes in the field of intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs).

This year’s conference will feature four highlights.First, navigating cutting-edge sci-techtrends. The conference will spotlight the application and innovation of cutting-edge technologies, such as AI, information and communications technology (ICT), data utilization, and chips, in the automotive industry. Leading global experts will be invited to share the latest technological breakthroughs, industry trends, and implementation practices in the field of ICVs.Second, deepening pragmatic international cooperation. Activities such as the Automotive Industry International Cooperation Meeting and the “Automotive Industry Visit by Diplomatic Missions” will bring together government representatives, authoritative international institutions, and industry leaders worldwide. Nearly half of this year’s speakers are expected to be international guests. Third, showcasing diverse achievements. During the conference, a series of reports will be released on trending areas such as progress in vehicle-road-cloud integration, network technologies, trusted data spaces, and “AI Plus Automobile”. These will highlight the ICV industry’s achievements during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, comprehensively showcasing new technologies, products, models, and ecosystems. Fourth, enriching hands-on experiences. The conference will further expand shuttle services of high-level autonomous passenger vehicles, adding routes connecting major transportation hubs and hotels with the main venue. AI-powered translation devices that cover all attendee communication scenarios will also be deployed within the venue to enable seamless interaction among global guests.

Deepening Integrated Innovation for Cross-Industry Collaborative Development

WICV has become a key platform for advancing integrated innovation between ICVs and related sectors, as well as for fostering cross-industry collaborative development. The MIIT, the MOT, and other authorities have implemented multiple measures to jointly promote high-quality development of the industry.

Guo Shougang noted that ICVs serve as a crucial carrier for the integration of automobiles with technologies such as AI, ICT, cloud computing, and big data, and have become a strategic priority in the global automotive transition. The MIIT attaches great importance to the development of the ICV industry, focusing on technological breakthroughs, standard development, and application promotion. These efforts have driven significant progress in the industry. First, rapid growth in industry scale.From January to July 2025, cumulative sales of new passenger vehicles equipped with combined driver assistance systems (L2) in China reached 7.7599 million units, with a penetration rate of 62.58%. The number of 5G and C-V2X installations has exceeded 3 million units. Second, breakthroughs in key technologies.China has established a complete industry chain covering intelligent cockpits, autonomous driving, and connected cloud control. AI large models have been extensively deployed in vehicles, while perception devices, C-V2X, and other core technologies have reached internationally leading levels. Third, steady expansion of demonstration projects.Building on the 17 national-level testing and demonstration zones, China is accelerating the development of 20 pilot cities for vehicle-road-cloud integration. Over 35,000 kilometers of roads have been opened for testing and demonstration, and more than 10,000 testing and demonstration licenses have been issued.Fourth, continuous improvement of the standard system. A total of 88 national and industry standards have been released. Efforts have been made to accelerate the development of urgently needed standards in areas such as combined driver assistance systems, autonomous driving systems, and automatic emergency braking systems. In addition, China is deeply involved in the formulation and harmonization of international standards and regulations related to autonomous driving.

Looking ahead, the MIIT will promptly formulate a development plan for the intelligent connected new energy vehicle industry in the new era, supporting breakthroughs in key and core technologies such as automotive AI, operating systems, and intelligent drive-by-wire chassis. It will continue to improve the automotive technical standard system and further advance pilot programs for ICV market access and on-road operations, as well as vehicle-road-cloud integration. These efforts aim to steadily promote the high-quality development of China’s automotive industry.

Driving Industrial Transformation for Digital and Intelligent Upgrades of Transportation Infrastructure

Xing Fansheng noted that the transportation sector is actively embracing a new round of sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation led by AI, accelerating the development of new quality productive forces, and fostering the growth of smart transportation and logistics industries.

Since the launch of the 14th Five-Year Plan, leveraging the National Key R&D Program, we have strengthened efforts to tackle critical technologies in smart transportation, initiated two rounds of pilot applications with a total of 50 intelligent transportation projects, and established the National Integrated Transportation Information Platform. As a result, the digitalization, networking, and intelligence of the transportation sector have reached new heights.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the MOT is advancing the “AI Plus Transportation” initiative, with the large-scale innovative application of AI in the transportation sector as its primary focus. First,accelerating the release of the Implementation Opinions on “AI Plus Transportation”, which will be implemented soon. Second,collaborating with the industry and wider society to develop a comprehensive transportation large model and accelerate the adoption of intelligent agents. Third,adopting a “Technology Plus Engineering” approach. This includes facilitating a series of innovative projects centered on typical applications such as autonomous trucks on major corridors, autonomous platooning for inland cargo vessels, intelligent management and response for major highway disasters, free-flow highway tolling, and high-speed maglev systems. Fourth,planning to launch the AI Plus Transportation “10-100-1000” Innovation Action, expand pilot demonstrations, and build stronger synergies in innovation.

Focusing on Practical Outcomes to Consolidate Industry Leadership

According to Su Guobin, Beijing has taken the conference as an opportunity to fully absorb its outcomes, showcase the city’s development achievements, strengthen exchanges and cooperation, and promote the high-quality development of the ICV industry. In 2024, Beijing’s automobile production reached 1.145 million units, representing a year-on-year increase of 14.2%. In the first half of this year, 68.3% of newly sold passenger vehicles in Beijing were equipped with combined driver assistance systems (L2). The city has successfully deployed vehicle-road-cloud integrated infrastructure across 600 square kilometers as part of its initiative to develop smart city infrastructure and ICV systems. Over 1,100 test licenses have been issued, with autonomous vehicles logging a collective mileage of over 45 million kilometers. The BeijingAutonomous Vehicle Regulationshave been issued to ensure that innovative activities related to autonomous vehicles are conducted in compliance with laws and regulations. Pilot projects on ICV market access and on-road operations, along with vehicle-road-cloud integration, have made steady progress.

Moving forward, Beijing will remain committed to implementing the national strategy for ICV development, consolidating its position as a leader in the ICV industry, and contributing to industrial development. First, continuously advancing the development of smart city infrastructure and ICV systems in high standards.Beijing will continue to expand the coverage of vehicle-road-cloud integrated infrastructure on a larger scale and across wider areas. This will support the safe operation of high-level autonomous vehicles and the development of vehicles with driver assistance systems. Second, strengthening core technology breakthroughs.Continuous efforts will be made to advance innovative research on key and core ICV technologies such as automotive-grade chips and complex environment perception. The aim is to make these technologies self-supporting and controllable. Third, accelerating the development of the ICV industry ecosystem. Beijing willcollaborate with Tianjin and Hebei to develop the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei technology hub for intelligent connected new energy vehicles. This aims to reinforce and upgrade weak links in the industry chain, and promote the integration of sci-tech and industrial innovations. Fourth, advancing national pilot projects in an orderly manner.Beijing will work to ensure the safe operation of pilot vehicles, supporting automakers in accelerating access testing of pilot models. In coordination with Tianjin and Hebei, the city will strengthen the development of vehicle-road-cloud integrated infrastructure, innovate cross-domain scenarios, and promote the adoption of ICVs.

As China’s first national-level professional conference on ICVs approved by the State Council, WICV has been successfully held for seven consecutive years since 2018. It has become a crucial platform for pioneering technological innovation, promoting international exchanges, and reaching outcomes and consensus in the global automotive industry. WICV 2025 will comprehensively showcase the achievements of the ICV industry, fully leverage Beijing’s industrial strengths, and bring together global automotive leaders to jointly envision a promising future for the industry.

This October, in the golden autumn, Beijing awaits your presence for the opening of WICV 2025!