China Approves 338 National Standards Across AI, Autonomous Driving, and Safety

China's market regulator has approved and issued 338 national standards spanning high-tech manufacturing, industrial safety, and consumer services. Released by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China, the package consists of 15 mandatory technical requirements and 323 recommended specifications. Key measures include mandatory safety guidelines for autonomous driving systems in intelligent connected vehicles and resistance welding machinery, alongside foundational technical standards for artificial intelligence medical devices, advanced displays, optoelectronics, and shared bicycle operations.

The release of mandatory and recommended national standards establishes a unified regulatory and testing baseline for fast-evolving industries. For sectors like autonomous driving and artificial intelligence healthcare, technical standards clarify development and compliance benchmarks, while mandatory rules for industrial equipment aim to curb workplace safety incidents.

China's market supervision authorities have approved and released 338 national standards designed to upgrade technical requirements across emerging technologies, industrial production, and consumer services, according to an announcement carried by state media. The newly approved batch, issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Standardization Administration of China, includes 15 mandatory national standards and 323 recommended national standards. In the high-technology sector, the authorities released national standards establishing quality requirements and evaluation terminology for artificial intelligence medical devices. The framework aims to support the formation of a standardized national system for AI medical equipment, providing clear technical baselines for product development, laboratory testing, and quality control. Regulators also approved standards covering advanced display technologies, including stereoscopic and flexible display devices, as well as optoelectronic components such as optical circuit boards and fiber-optic interconnect devices to unify performance metrics and measurement methods. Workplace and equipment safety formed another major pillar of the regulatory release. SAMR introduced a mandatory national standard specifying safety requirements for resistance welding machines, establishing binding technical parameters to reduce industrial accidents, mandate operational safety upgrades, and stabilize long-term equipment operations. Additionally, authorities approved 15 standards governing special equipment safety, including specifications for elevator T-rails, elevator landing door fire-resistance testing, and periodic inspection and assessment procedures for liquefied petroleum gas and liquefied dimethyl ether cylinders. In consumer-facing sectors, the regulator published a mandatory national standard governing safety requirements for autonomous driving systems in intelligent connected vehicles. The standard sets compulsory rules for system design, software development, and validation testing, with the objective of ensuring reliable performance in complex traffic scenarios and minimizing accident risks stemming from software errors or misjudgments. The release also featured operational service specifications covering the complete lifecycle of app-based shared bicycle operations to standardize fleet management and consumer service quality.