Perhaps make driverless car with China's backing (8)
I believe the answer is:
automate
'perhaps make driverless' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.
'car with china's backing' is the wordplay.
'car with' becomes 'auto' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'china' becomes 'mate' (china plate is Cockney rhyming slang for mate).
'backing' says to put letters next to each other.
'auto'+'mate'='AUTOMATE'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for automate that I've seen before include "Eat out ma - make it self-regulating" , "'Control something using machines, not people (8)'" , "Take the manual out of" , "Cause to function without direct human control" , "Make (a device) work with little human control" .)