Wuxi in East China's Jiangsu province was listed among the first batch of demonstration cities for the collaborative development of smart city infrastructure and smart connected vehicles, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development announced on May 6.

A total of six cities stood out on the list for their strong competitiveness in smart city development, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Changsha, and Wuxi, according to officials.

Boasting a strong industrial base for the internet of things and an advanced information network, Wuxi started developing its internet of vehicles sector in 2016, establishing a comprehensive testing base for self-driving vehicles and IoV.

In 2019, the city became China's first pilot area for developing IoV, featuring comprehensive integration and development of smart city construction by building IoV infrastructure, promoting various application scenarios, improving standards, and exploring commercial operations.

Local government officials said that Wuxi will release more related polices to promote the development of an IoV industry and pursue innovation in the smart construction of newly-built roads.

In the future, technical scenarios and testing equipment for self-driving vehicles are expected to be a part of preparations for new roads in an effort to achieve wide coverage of the city's IoV infrastructure, according to officials.

Officials said that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), the scale of the city's intelligent transportation industry will exceed 10 billion yuan ($1.55 billion), with more than 200 related companies promoting smart city development in Wuxi.