China Technology, Media and Telecom: Monthly Update – November 2022 Issue

This newsletter summarizes the latest developments in technology, media, and telecom in China with a focus on the legislation, enforcement, and industry developments in this area.

Regulatory Developments

1. SAC released first national standards for industrial Internet platforms On 14 October, the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) released the first batch of national standards in the field of industrial Internet platforms (“Standards”). The Standards, in an effort to promote large-scale application of platforms, introduce the application capability and performance evaluation system that covers the whole process and all elements of the application of industrial Internet platforms and specify the general approach to the application and implementation of industrial Internet platforms by enterprises.
2. MIIT announced release of first international standard for autonomous driving led by China On 14 October, the first international standard for autonomous driving test scenarios (“Standard”) initiated by China was officially released, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). China worked with experts from Germany and other over 20 countries in the planning and development of the standard which includes the vocabulary, the safety evaluation framework, the operational design domain, scenario categories, etc.
3. CAAC issued Guiding Opinions on Development of Civil Aviation Big Data On 9 October, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued the Guiding Opinions on the Development of Civil Aviation Big Data (the “Opinions”). The Opinions put forward the general framework of the guiding principles, future directions, and development targets. The Opinions aim to promote the system development of the responsible organization, regulations and standards, data resources, data elements, infrastructure, and data security and to achieve the goals of data digitization, standardization, resourceization, assetization, elementization, and marketization.
4. Chongqing issued Action Plan for Innovative Application of Autonomous Driving and Internet of Vehicles in Chongqing (2022-2025) On 8 October, the Chongqing Municipal Government released the Action Plan for the Innovative Application of Autonomous Driving and the Internet of Vehicles in Chongqing (2022-2025) (the “Plan”). The Plan proposes to create a demonstration area for autonomous driving and the Internet of vehicles, to promote the application of high-precision maps and the building of cloud-controlled infrastructure platforms and application systems, and to support the scalable development of the Internet of vehicles, the pilot operation of autonomous vehicles, and the implementation of smart highway projects. The Plan also puts forward the measures to protect the security of data and personal information by building a citywide platform for autonomous driving supervision and a platform for cybersecurity and data security situational awareness monitoring that supports the integration of vehicles, roads, and cloud services.
5. Shenzhen Municipal Development and Reform Commission released Measures to Promote High-Quality Development of Intelligent Connected Vehicle Industry in Shenzhen (Draft for Comments) On 11 October, the Shenzhen Municipal Development and Reform Commission released the Measures to Promote the High-Quality Development of the Intelligent Connected Vehicle Industry in Shenzhen (Draft for Comments) (the “Measures”). The Measures propose to provide financial support for the development of the core areas of the industry such as sensing and decision-making systems and control and execution systems, as well as key technologies such as automotive-grade LIDAR, high-precision maps, automotive-grade MOSFETs, and advanced power batteries. The Measures also put forward the plan to build intelligent connected vehicle industrial parks in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District and Pingshan District and the Shenzhen-Shantou Special Cooperation Zone and encourage the road testing, demonstration application, and commercial operation of intelligent connected vehicles.
6. State Council’s Report on Development of Digital Economy was submitted to Standing Committee of National People’s Congress for deliberation On 28 October, the State Council’s Report on the Development of Digital Economy (the “Report”) was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) for deliberation. According to the Report, China will utilise the country’s vast data resources to promote deeper integration of digital technologies and the real economy, empower the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, and strengthen the development of digital infrastructure. The Report also puts forward further arrangements for achieving core technology breakthroughs, improving digital economy governance mechanisms, and strengthening cybersecurity and data security protection.

Enforcement Developments

1. MIIT reported 38 problematic APPs with violations such as illegally pushing pop-up information and excessively requesting access On 13 October, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) reported 38 problematic APPs, which were involved in issues such as the illegal collection of personal information and request for access, forced pop-up push notifications, and/or insufficient information about the APPs on application distribution platforms. According to the ministry, all the APP operators were required to fully rectify these issues by 20 October or they would face corresponding administrative penalties.

Industry Developments

1. Compliance Guidelines for Issuance of NFTs was officially released On 19 October, the Guangdong Internet Society, in conjunction with other departments, released the Compliance Guidelines for the Issuance of NFTs (the “Guidelines”). The Guidelines detail the qualifications of the enterprises or platforms to cast and issue NFT digital collections, the requirements of the third party to evaluate and review the issuance, and the qualification or license requirements of the organizations or individuals to commission the casting and issuing of NFTs, and related legal liabilities.
2. China issued first batch of urban advanced assistant driving map licenses On 17 October, Guangzhou and Shenzhen issued their first urban advanced assistant driving map licenses, with Baidu being one of the permittees. In August this year, the General Office of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) issued a notice on the pilot application of high-precision maps for intelligent connected vehicles, which initiated the demonstration application of high-precision maps in the first batch of six cities, including Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The issuance of the licenses by the two cities is considered a significant step in the implementation of the pilot policy.
3. SCA held coordination meeting for real-name registration of IoV cards On 21 October, the Shanghai Communications Administration (SCA), in conjunction with the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, convened a meeting with six major car enterprises on the real-name registration of IoV cards. The enterprises were required to prioritize the real-name registration programme and enhance efforts in planning, implementation, and reporting.
4. Shanghai Digital Transformation Office published Implementation Plan for Digital Transformation of Shanghai Manufacturing Industry On 8 October, the Shanghai Digital Transformation Office published the Implementation Plan for the Digital Transformation of the Shanghai Manufacturing Industry (the “Plan”) to promote digital innovation and reinvention of the Shanghai manufacturing industry. The Plan urges to enhance digital technology capabilities, promote the interconnection of various links in the industrial chain, facilitate the transformation of production methods and management modes, build model smart factories, and advance the integrated development of industrial Internet platforms and industrial parks. The Plan also calls for the increase of data asset value, upgrades of infrastructure, and establishment of network security systems. In addition, the Plan puts forward the need for digital professional service enterprises and relevant mechanisms as well as local and association standards and lays out supporting measures in different aspects including organizational leadership, policy assistance, financial services, talent systems, and cooperation mechanisms.