News - South China Morning Post
· collected 2026-09-07 · by Kristen Cheung
Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing plans to apply for a pilot license to test autonomous vehicles in Hong Kong's Tseung Kwan O area this year, according to government adviser Gary Zhang Xinyu. The trials will initially focus on the industrial estate due to its wider roads and lower traffic volume, making it a more suitable place to start. Didi has also posted job openings for autonomous vehicle test drivers at HK$21,000 to HK$22,000 per month, requiring candidates to have held a Hong Kong driving license for at least five years with no convictions in the past five years. The company's goal is to eventually expand trials to other new development areas if its business model proves viable.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Didi Chuxing, a Chinese ride-hailing giant, will apply for a license to test autonomous vehicles in Hong Kong this year. The initial trials are planned for Tseung Kwan O, an urban area that includes a town centre, a housing estate called Lohas Park, and an industrial estate with varying road conditions. This was announced by Gary Zhang Xinyu, a member of the Transport Department's working group on promoting autonomous vehicle applications, who said Tseung Kwan O is a suitable place to start because its roads are wider, traffic volume is lower, and environment is relatively less complex than other areas. The move is expected to eventually expand to cover more new development areas if the business model proves viable. This news follows a recent visit by Hong Kong's Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan and lawmakers to Didi's headquarters in Beijing last Wednesday.
Written for “Didi Autonomous Vehicle Tests” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 6435 · logged 2026-09-07
Didi to apply for driverless vehicle tests in Hong Kong this year
asserted
Didi → apply → Kong
Government adviser says Chinese ride-hailing giant plans Tseung Kwan O pilot, with scope to expand to other new development areas if business model proves viable
Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing will apply to test autonomous vehicles in a Hong Kong urban area this year, a government adviser has revealed, saying trials should eventually expand to cover more new development areas.
asserted
trials → say → areas
The announcement followed a visit to Didi’s Beijing headquarters last Wednesday by Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan and a group of lawmakers.
asserted
announcement → follow → lawmakers
Gary Zhang Xinyu, a member of the Transport Department’s working group on promoting autonomous vehicle applications, said on Monday the company would apply for an autonomous vehicle pilot licence in Hong Kong this year, with initial trials planned for Tseung Kwan O.
“Tseung Kwan O itself is large and diverse – the town centre, Lohas Park and the industrial estate all have different road conditions,” he said on a radio programme.
asserted
he → work → programme
“The industrial estate is a more suitable place to start because the roads are wider, the traffic volume is lower and the overall environment is relatively simple.
asserted
environment → start → ?
Didi is also recruiting autonomous vehicle test drivers for Tseung Kwan O roles at HK$21,000 to HK$22,000 (US$2,678 to US$2,805) a month, according to a job posting.
uncertain
Didi → recruit → posting
It states that drivers will operate vehicles on open roads, recording conditions and system performance to ensure safety.
asserted
drivers → state → safety
Candidates must have held a Hong Kong driving licence for at least five years, with no traffic convictions in the past five years, and have mainland Chinese driving experience.
asserted
Candidates → hold → experience
