Tlanahuatilistli · Nahuatl

China Releases 515 National Standards: What Foreign Founders Need to Know

China's market regulator approved 515 national standards covering high-tech, traditional industries, safety, and consumer life. Here's a practical breakdown for foreign founders operating in China.

China Releases 515 National Standards: What Foreign Founders Need to Know

On October 23, 2026, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), through the National Standardization Administration, approved and published 515 important national standards and national standardization guiding technical documents. According to the official announcement, these include 10 mandatory national standards, 466 recommended national standards, and 39 guiding technical documents. They span high-tech, traditional industries, work safety, and daily life. The standards are expected to play a role in promoting high-quality industrial development, improving quality of life, and safeguarding life and property safety.

For foreign founders registering or operating a company in China, these standards can affect product compliance, market access, and operational requirements. Below is a breakdown of what was published, based only on the official source.

High-Tech Sector Standards

In the high-tech field, 16 national standards were released for artificial intelligence, humanoid robots, and industrial environment robots. These cover AI system safety and robot technical requirements, aiming to set safety baselines and unify technical specifications to support the development of the robotics and AI industries.

Another 14 national standards address semiconductor devices and integrated circuits, intended to regulate the semiconductor industry, strengthen supply chain resilience, and support technological self-reliance.

Seven national standards cover optoelectronic computing and intelligent computing, regulating fields such as optoelectronic computing and intelligent computing clusters, unifying evaluation benchmarks, and consolidating computing infrastructure.

Four national standards focus on photovoltaics and new energy storage, specifying technical requirements for new energy storage and photovoltaics to support safe and efficient new energy development.

Traditional Industry Standards

For traditional industries, 25 national standards were issued for marine diesel generator sets, marine check valves, and general requirements for remote operation and maintenance systems for offshore platforms. These provide standardization support for the R&D, safe operation, and green transformation of ships and marine engineering equipment.

Twelve national standards cover aircraft static converters and terminology for civil aircraft powerplant systems, offering technical criteria for the design and manufacturing of aerospace products.

Forty-nine national standards address rolling bearings, reciprocating internal combustion engines, and electrical discharge machines, helping improve the quality of core components in equipment manufacturing.

Twenty-six national standards cover photovoltaic glass, concrete, and cement, supporting the green and low-carbon transformation of the building materials industry.

Eleven national standards focus on steel and alloys, non-ferrous metal materials, and vanadium-titanium magnetite, strengthening quality assurance for basic raw materials.

Work Safety Standards

In work safety, seven mandatory national standards for public safety were released, covering spatiotemporal data security for intelligent connected vehicles and fire safety. These focus on data protection for intelligent connected vehicles and urban-rural fire risk prevention, further refining data security baselines and rules for fire products and premises management, and promoting more refined urban safety governance.

Eight national standards in social governance cover hazardous and explosive materials management, urban public facility operation and maintenance, and forest and grassland fire prevention and extinguishing. Alongside these, three national standardization guiding technical documents were issued for community and business continuity resilience. These focus on grassroots safety control and risk resistance, further standardizing operation and maintenance requirements and detailing reconstruction planning and emergency plan development processes, promoting a shift toward preventive safety management and supporting resilient safety city construction.

Consumer Life Standards

For daily life, a national standard for names of spices and condiments was published, standardizing Chinese and English names and used parts of plant-based spice products.

Twelve national standards for paper products, including toilet paper and its products and wallpaper, aim to optimize product performance, improve quality, and meet high-quality consumer demand.

Six national standards for education services, covering elderly learning and educational organizations, clarify management systems for educational organizations and service requirements for elderly learners. They support building vocational education brands and promote in-depth cooperation between Chinese and foreign vocational education.

Two national standards cover cycling sports glasses and esports equipment configuration, continuing to guide the expansion of sports and fitness consumption.

What This Means for Foreign Founders

These standards are not just technical documents—they can influence how foreign-invested companies design, produce, import, and sell products in China. For example, if you are in AI, robotics, semiconductors, or new energy, the new standards may set safety or technical benchmarks that your products need to meet. In traditional manufacturing, standards for components or materials can affect supply chain compliance.

In work safety, mandatory standards for intelligent connected vehicles and fire safety may impose additional data security or product requirements. Consumer product standards for paper goods, spices, and sports equipment can affect labeling, quality claims, and market access.

As a foreign founder, it is important to monitor these standards and assess whether your business activities are impacted. Compliance with national standards is often a prerequisite for market entry and can affect certification, testing, and contractual obligations. The official announcement does not specify implementation dates or transition periods, so companies should verify details with relevant authorities or professional advisors.

When registering a company in China, understanding the regulatory landscape, including national standards, is part of building a compliant operation. Foreign founders should consider how these standards apply to their specific industry and product range.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.

For assistance with company registration and operations in China, foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp / WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535.