Premier Li Qiang signed State Council Decree No. 842, revising China's 2001 integrated circuit layout protections to explicitly encompass photonic and quantum chips effective October 2026. The overhaul increases statutory infringement penalties, penalizes fraudulent applications, and creates standardized pathways for commercial licensing. The update reflects Beijing's effort to establish strong IP protections around next-generation semiconductor architecture.

AI infrastructure operators in China are shifting business models from traditional GPU hardware rentals to token-based delivery as daily national token calls surpassed 140 trillion in early 2026. Industry competition is refocusing on per-watt token generation efficiency rather than sheer cluster size, spurring the deployment of liquid cooling, custom ASICs, and specialized inference engines.

Major infrastructure expansion is advancing across primary shipping corridors, including the 77-billion-yuan Three Gorges New Channel and the Pinglu Canal, set to open for navigation in September. Authorities view water transport projects as critical tools to stimulate economic investment, relieve key freight bottlenecks, and support expanding foreign trade volume.

China's gross ocean product reached 5.5 trillion yuan in the first half of the year, accounting for nearly 8% of national output and outstripping overall GDP growth by 0.4 percentage points. The growth was driven by 380 billion yuan in planned investment across more than 1,200 newly approved marine and coastal projects.

A China Coast Guard formation led by the Xiushan conducted routine law enforcement patrols in waters east of Taiwan on July 31. Officials stated that maritime control operations in the area have been continuously reinforced since July to safeguard navigation order and enforce sovereignty claims.