Beijing police investigate Baidu self-driving car video

BEIJING -- Beijing traffic police said Thursday that they will investigate footage showing a self-driving car developed by Chinese tech giant Baidu on the open road.

At a meeting Wednesday, Li Yanhong, Baidu's CEO, live streamed while riding in a Baidu self-driving car on Beijing's fifth ring road.

The video went viral on social media, and caught the attention of traffic police. The public has since debated whether driverless cars should be allowed on the streets, as there are no clear regulations or laws covering their use.

Traffic police said they support technological innovation in driverless vehicles, but will investigate possible violations of existing traffic laws.

Baidu launched its autonomous car project in 2013, joining the race with Internet giants such as Google and Tesla Motors. The search engine giant said in 2016 that it plans to mass-produce driverless cars in five years.