China is proposing tighter approval requirements for innovative vehicle designs, expanding oversight of doors, displays and seats following the release of a mandatory national standard on door handle safety.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) published the draft notice on Saturday. It was jointly drawn up with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the State Administration for Market Regulation.

The draft reiterates a ban on fully concealed door handles and proposes prohibiting foldable and flexible displays. Public comments will be accepted through November 10.

The door handle ban is not new. The MIIT released a mandatory national safety standard on February 2 requiring mechanical interior and exterior door handles.

That standard takes effect on January 1, 2027, with models already approved given until January 2029 to complete design changes.

The latest proposal would further integrate design safety assessments and development testing into vehicle approvals. Models that fail to undergo the required testing, are inadequately tested or are supported by falsified documentation would be denied approval.

Some manufacturers have rushed to follow product trends without sufficient testing, increasing vehicle safety and environmental risks, the 4 agencies said in the document.

The accompanying technical guidelines for innovative vehicle designs would require door handles to have mechanical redundancy and sufficient space for hand operation, with testing to verify their usability in extreme conditions and emergencies.

Vehicles with soft-close doors would need anti-pinch protection and manual opening capability during power outages or malfunctions to reduce the risk of occupants becoming trapped.

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