On September 22, 2025, China’s Ministry of Transport (MOT), National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and other 4 bureaus jointly issued the Implementation Opinions on AI + Transportation. These implementation opinions act as policy responses to the AI+ Initiatives released by the State Council in August 2025, pointing to the direction of AI development and its intended impact on the transport sector in the next 5 years.

The opinions set out 2 main objectives:

  • By 2027, the country should achieve extensive application of AI in typical transport scenarios, supported by a comprehensive transport AI model system and a wide range of intelligent agents. Several landmark innovation projects will be launched to showcase these advancements.
  • By 2030, AI will penetrate the transport sector, driving the development of an intelligent, integrated, and multimodal transport network. The country should grasp full control over key core technologies instead of relying on importing technologies. Eventually, the overall level of transport technologies should rank among the world’s leading.

Furthermore, the opinions define four main areas of action:

  1. Strengthening the supply of key technologies.
    Three major tasks are identified: (1) conducting applied technology research, (2) accelerating intelligent product innovation, and (3) building a comprehensive transport AI model system. The focus is on common industry needs and frontier directions, building an AI product system that covers the entire industrial chain, enhancing the intelligence of the transport system, and consolidating the foundation for AI application.
  2. Accelerating the empowerment of innovative scenarios.
    Leveraging the industry’s rich application scenarios, seven priority tasks are planned across areas such as combined driver assistance, smart railways, smart shipping, smart civil aviation, smart postal services, intelligent construction and maintenance, multimodal transport, and smart logistics. Scenario-based innovation and pilot demonstrations will be used to create replicable and scalable application cases, promoting overall improvement and expanding the breadth of AI applications.
  3. Strengthening the guarantee of core elements.
    Three key tasks are proposed: (1) optimizing computing power capacity, (2) building high-quality datasets, and (3) advancing ubiquitous network infrastructure. Efforts will be made to enhance computing resources according to local conditions, develop a multimodal, multi-scenario big data resource system for transport, and establish an integrated space–ground and cloud–network data transmission system to provide a high-speed, reliable, and secure foundation for AI applications.
  4. Optimizing the industrial development ecosystem.
    Three main tasks are proposed: (1) enhancing the incubation capacity of the industry ecosystem, (2) improving AI governance mechanisms, and (3) scaling up talent attraction. The focus is on empowering the role of enterprise in AI innovation, promoting basic and applied research, accelerating the adoption of new AI innovations, building a multi-level talent training system, and improving the AI innovation environment.

The opinions also call for establishing a coordination mechanism for AI development in the transport sector, broadening access to real-world testing and application scenarios, strengthening network and data security oversight, improving ethical review rules and mechanisms, and promoting international cooperation.

More implementation opinions of this kind are expected to be issued by other government bodies in key sectors. As China accelerates AI development and its real-world applications, standards will be essential for scaling up new technologies. In 2024, China’s main AI standardization body, SAC/SC42, established 11 new working groups to develop AI application standards across various industries.

These official opinions serve as policy guidance for standardization bodies such as SC42 and its working groups. The international community can expect a stronger voice and greater presence from SAC/SC42 in global standardization activities, with more proposals and initiatives likely to reflect the priorities and directions set out in these implementation opinions. SESEC will continue to monitor and report on these developments.

Source: https://www.mot.gov.cn/2025zhengcejd/202509/t20250925_4177281.html