China grants first L3 autonomous driving license plate in southwestern city

China's first official license plate dedicated to Level-3 (L3) autonomous driving was issued in the southwestern city of Chongqing on Saturday, marking a leap as advanced driving technologies transitions from limited testing authorization to formal road access.

The license plate, bearing the number of "Yu-AD0001Z," was granted by the municipal public security and traffic administration authority to a car manufactured by Chinese auto maker Changan Automobile.

Last week, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) granted permits to two electric sedans -- one from Changan Automobile and the other from BAIC Motor's Arcfox -- to offer L3 self-driving functions on select roads in Chongqing and Beijing, respectively.

The step from Level 2 to Level 3 is a critical transition from assisted driving to automated driving. Level 3, "conditionally automated driving," allows vehicles to perform dynamic automated driving tasks while requiring a human driver to remain available to take control when requested.

At present, Changan Automobile's L3 autonomous driving system has been tested on real roads in Chongqing for over 5 million kilometers.

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, a major air hub in south China's Guangdong Province, has handled over 17.8 million cross-border passenger trips this year, a year-on-year surge of about 19 percent this year as of Friday, according to local border authorities.

The airport's cargo throughput has topped 1.43 million tonnes, up 8.4 percent.

Both international passenger and cargo volumes have already exceeded their last year's full-year totals, hitting a five-year high.