Smart car target set at 50% of new sales by 2020

China expects smart cars with partial or fully autonomous functions to account for 50 percent of new vehicles sold in the country by 2020 - one of the most ambitious plans worldwide to push forward self-driving technologies.

The blueprint, released by the National Development and Reform Commission on Friday, is part of the country's efforts to grow into a global power in smart car development and production by 2035.

In order to perfect the legal system for self-driving technologies, the government will speed up the drafting of regulations for public road tests of autonomous driving and revise the current road safety regulations "when conditions are mature", according to the plan.