China plans to build the world's largest autonomous driving test zone from this year in the south-eastern city of Zhangzhou in Fujian province.

The project was signed off in December and involves building autonomous driving infrastructure, including traffic signs, in a 56 sq km area in Zhangzhou's economic and technological development zone. The zone will become a real-life lab for autonomous vehicles.

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The city also plans to build a 60,000 sq m in-door experimental laboratory and a 2m sq m open-air testing ground. An initial fund of CNY10bn has already been set aside for the project, with both facilities expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The Michighan Mobility Transformation Centre (Mcity), a research facility set up by the US' University of Michigan and the Michigan Department of Transportation to help develop connected and automated vehicles and systems, will have an input in the project.

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