China Accelerates AI Governance While Maintaining Crypto Restrictions
China's State Council released its 2026 Legislative Work Plan, outlining a roadmap for governing the country's rapidly expanding AI sector. The plan calls for accelerated work on AI governance across data rules, algorithms, computing power, intellectual property protections, cybersecurity, and supply chain security.
The plan doubles down on favoring targeted pilot projects and sector-specific regulations over a single sweeping framework. This is in contrast to previous agendas that included a dedicated AI law. However, new rules covering AI ethics, AI agents, and anthropomorphic interaction services are expected this year, with measures slated to take effect between April and July.
Meanwhile, blockchain legislation takes a backseat. The 2026 plan does not introduce any new blockchain-specific laws or mandates. Instead, the regulatory environment continues to be shaped by existing frameworks, most notably the 2019 Cryptography Law.