प्रकाशित · Marwadi
China Releases 515 National Standards: What Foreign Founders Need to Know
China's market regulator approved 515 national standards covering AI, semiconductors, traditional industries, safety, and consumer goods. Here's how foreign founders can use this to guide compliance and market entry.
China Releases 515 National Standards: What Foreign Founders Need to Know
On October 23, 2026, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), which also acts as the National Standardization Administration, approved and published 515 important national standards and national standardization guiding technical documents. This package includes 10 mandatory national standards, 466 recommended national standards, and 39 guiding technical documents. The standards span high-tech, traditional industries, work safety, and consumer life, and are expected to play a key role in promoting high-quality industrial development, improving quality of life, and safeguarding life and property.
For foreign founders establishing or operating a company in China, these standards matter. They signal where regulators are focusing, what technical requirements products must meet, and how to align operations with China's quality and safety expectations. Below, we break down the key areas and offer practical guidance on integrating these standards into your China business strategy.
High-Tech Sector: AI, Semiconductors, and New Energy
In the high-tech field, the new standards cover several cutting-edge areas:
- Artificial intelligence and robotics: 16 national standards were released for AI, humanoid robots, and industrial environment robots. These standards address AI system safety and robot technical requirements, setting safety baselines and unifying technical specifications to support high-quality development of the robotics and AI industries.
- Semiconductors: 14 national standards for semiconductor devices and integrated circuits aim to regulate the semiconductor industry, strengthen supply chain resilience, and support technological self-reliance.
- Computing infrastructure: 7 national standards for optical computing and intelligent computing standardize fields such as optical computing and intelligent computing clusters, unify evaluation benchmarks, and solidify the foundation for computing infrastructure.
- New energy: 4 national standards for photovoltaics and new energy storage set technical requirements to support safe and efficient development of new energy.
If your company operates in AI, robotics, semiconductors, or new energy, these standards will shape product design, testing, and market access. Foreign founders should review the specific requirements early to ensure compliance and avoid delays in certification or market entry.
Traditional Industries: Shipbuilding, Aerospace, Equipment, and Materials
For traditional industries, the standards provide support for upgrading quality and going green:
- Ship and marine engineering: 25 national standards cover marine diesel generator sets, marine check valves, and general requirements for remote operation and maintenance systems for offshore platforms, providing standard support for R&D, safe operation, and green transformation.
- Aerospace: 12 national standards for aircraft static converters and terminology for civil aircraft powerplant systems serve as technical benchmarks for design and manufacturing.
- Equipment manufacturing: 49 national standards for rolling bearings, reciprocating internal combustion engines, and EDM machines help improve the quality of core components.
- Building materials: 26 national standards for photovoltaic glass, concrete, and cement support the green and low-carbon transformation of the building materials industry.
- Raw materials: 11 national standards for steel and alloys, non-ferrous metal materials, and vanadium-titanium magnetite strengthen quality assurance for basic raw materials.
Foreign founders in manufacturing or industrial supply chains should note that these standards often become references for procurement and regulatory approval. Aligning with them can enhance your product's competitiveness and facilitate partnerships with Chinese firms.
Work Safety: Public Safety and Social Governance
Safety standards are critical for any business operating in China. The new package includes:
- Public safety mandatory standards: 7 mandatory national standards for intelligent connected vehicle spatiotemporal data security and fire safety. These focus on data protection for intelligent connected vehicles and urban-rural fire risk prevention, further detailing data security baselines and rules for fire products and premises management, promoting refined urban safety governance.
- Social governance standards: 8 national standards for hazardous materials management, urban public facility operation and maintenance, and forest and grassland fire prevention. Along with 3 guiding technical documents for community and business continuity resilience, these focus on grassroots safety control and risk resistance, standardizing operation and maintenance requirements, and detailing reconstruction planning and emergency plan development.
Compliance with these standards is not optional—especially the mandatory ones. Foreign founders should integrate these requirements into their operations, supply chain management, and emergency preparedness to avoid penalties and ensure business continuity.
Consumer Life: Food, Paper Products, Education, and Sports
Standards affecting everyday life can influence product labeling, quality expectations, and market opportunities:
- Food labeling: A national standard for names of spices and condiments standardizes Chinese and English names and used parts of plant-based spice products.
- Paper products: 12 national standards for toilet paper and wallpaper optimize product performance and quality to meet high-quality consumer demand.
- Education services: 6 national standards for elderly learning and educational organizations clarify management systems and service requirements for elderly learners, supporting vocational education brands and deepening Sino-foreign vocational education cooperation.
- Sports equipment: 2 national standards for cycling sports glasses and esports equipment configuration aim to guide and expand sports and fitness consumption.
Foreign founders in consumer goods, education, or sports should pay attention to these standards as they may affect product specifications, labeling, and service delivery. For education services, the standards also open doors for international cooperation in vocational training.
Practical Steps for Foreign Founders
To leverage these standards for your China operations, consider the following actions:
- Identify relevant standards: Review the list of 515 standards to see which apply to your industry and products. The full list is available on the SAMR website.
- Assess compliance gaps: Compare your current products and processes against the new requirements, especially mandatory standards.
- Update quality management: Integrate standard requirements into your quality control and supplier management systems.
- Communicate with partners: Inform Chinese partners and distributors about compliance to avoid disruptions.
- Monitor updates: Standards are periodically revised; stay informed through official channels or local experts.
These standards are part of China's broader effort to improve quality and safety. By proactively aligning, foreign founders can build trust with regulators and customers, and reduce compliance risks.
Call to Action: For assistance with registering and operating a company in China, foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp / WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535.
This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.