The ongoing 2025 Shanghai Auto Show has set a strong focus on electric and smart vehicles, with more than 100 new cars making their global debuts as the industry powers its way towards a greener and more intelligent future.
The 10-day auto show began in the east China metropolis on Wednesday and has attracted nearly 1,000 enterprises and supply chain enterprises from 26 countries and regions, making it the largest edition in the event's history.
China's auto sector is continuing its rapid growth with production and sales on the rise, while the country's leading carmakers are also incorporating cutting-edge technologies into their vehicles.
According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, last year, over 57 percent of all new cars were equipped with combined driving assistance functions in China.
This year's auto show has also provided a platform for more companies to showcase their latest innovations and component parts in the auto sector. Many of these firms, specializing in automotive-grade chips, in-car AI models, and power batteries, are debuting their products, positioning them as key players in launching these intelligent technologies to the international market.
Amid this exciting new tech-driven era, automakers attending the Shanghai event have been setting out their vision clearly, highlighting the adoption of advanced technologies while reaffirming their commitment to the safety of both drivers and passengers.
"Safety is the cornerstone of car manufacturing. As the integration of cars and artificial intelligence advances, users' demands for both safety and cost-effectiveness continue to rise. For instance, our vehicles are equipped with built-in roll cages and feature designs like our original armor. These innovative technologies not only enhance the driving experience by making it more enjoyable and user-friendly but also ensure the safety of passengers while maintaining an appealing aesthetic," said Zhang Jianyong, CEO of the BAIC Group, a Beijing-based automobile firm.
Smart cars take center stage as Shanghai Auto Show demonstrates future of driving
The International Organization for Mediation (IOMed), the world's first intergovernmental legal organization dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation, fills an institutional gap in international mediation, the body's Secretary-General Teresa Cheng said.
In a recent interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Beijing, Cheng talked about the significance of IMOed's inauguration in October 2025.
"If we look at the United Nations Charter again, Article 33, we've provided for these forms of dispute resolution. Yet for 80 years, somehow there is not a body that is dedicated exclusively to mediation. And I think that triggered these 19 countries when they made their joint statement to say, let's establish such a body, so it is filling the institutional gap. The second thing is that it also complements the existing dispute resolution mechanisms. Litigation arbitration is at the moment still a prevailing form of dispute resolution, but the states see the need, also called upon by the UN Charter, to establish something exclusively for mediation to complement the existing systems," said Cheng. "There are a number of states, in particular those from the Global South, are very interested in having a say in the development of this new body. Therefore, through this organization, there are, as I said, 38 signatory states now. I think the world is in a very interesting stage at the moment. There are a lot of differences, sometimes views get entrenched. By having a body that brings into effect inclusivity multilateralism, and of course, accommodating and understanding each other through dialogue, is a very important feature." she said.
Housing the organization in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region(HKSAR) also showed China's willingness to contribute to international mediation, said Cheng.
"The fact that we are housed and placed in the Hong Kong SAR, part of China, is because China is willing to contribute to this development, and Hong Kong very generously allows us to put our headquarters in one of the heritage buildings in Hong Kong," she added.
IOMed fills institutional gap in international mediation: secretary-general
