An autonomous car equipped with Baidu Apollo autonomous-driving systems runs on a test road. Photo: Courtesy of Baidu

Beijing issued its first test licenses for autonomous cars that will carry passengers on Monday, and Chinese technology giant Baidu received 40 of them.

Experts noted that China has been steadily promoting autonomous driving tests in experimental areas or road sections, and possesses developmental advantages over the long term, such as the promotion of 5G networks, which would greatly speed up the development of the Internet of Things.

The first opened experimental area for autonomous-driving tests carrying people or objectives is located in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, southeastern Beijing's Yizhuang district, with an area of 40 square kilometers and 111 routes, domestic news site takefoto.cn reported on Monday.

The test area has expanded its roads for autonomous driving since last year with related support facilities, Liu Dingding, a Beijing-based veteran industrial analyst, told the Global Times.

As a frontrunner in China researching and developing autonomous-driving technologies, Baidu Apollo autonomous driving systems won 40 licenses among the first batch, according to Baidu's statement sent to the Global Times on Monday.

Baidu, with 1,237 patents in intelligent driving, has rolled out tests in 23 cities within the country, and completed tests involving more than 3 million kilometers, said the statement.

As one of the countries striving to develop autonomous driving, China maintains advantages, such as the early development of 5G technologies. Some domestic technology enterprises have taken a strategic direction in the development of such areas, Liu noted.

The comprehensive promotion of autonomous driving still faces multiple challenges, including infrastructure support, related transport regulations and laws, Liu said.

Though the massive commercial use of autonomous vehicles with passengers would require a long period of time, experts said, the related technology tests have made steady progress in China.

Beijing was the third first-tier city in China to allow public road tests of autonomous driving vehicles that carry passengers after Guangzhou and Shanghai, Beijing News reported.