China’s Ministry of Commerce and six other government bodies announced an implementation opinion to drive the expansion and upgrading of goods consumption, including direct measures to accelerate the market application of artificial intelligence products, among them smart phones and computers, wearable devices, robots, and smart-home solutions.
The document, issued on August 13, 2026, aims to support what China describes as smart consumption alongside consumption of automobiles, household appliances, and green and health products. The plan sets a general target of total retail sales of consumer goods reaching about 60 trillion yuan by 2030, while developing markets for green, smart, and health products worth tens of trillions of yuan.
From Promoting Products to Building a Testing Ecosystem
The plan calls for establishing national pilot bases for artificial intelligence applications in the consumption sector and improving mechanisms for developing AI products, with the aim of launching products described in the document as internationally advanced and possessing significant consumption potential. It also calls for creating clusters and specialized stores focused on the concept of AI and consumption, in addition to centers for experiencing applications of the technology.
The measures are not limited to personal devices. The document supports the rollout of smart homes and centers for experiencing their solutions, encourages households to carry out comprehensive home renovations, and proposes expanding the use of AI in products intended for older adults, such as exoskeletons, electric wheelchairs, smart mattresses, and health-monitoring and mobility- and bathing-assistance devices.
Standards and Interoperability at the Heart of the Plan
Government bodies are calling for the accelerated application of standards for connected and smart vehicle products, smart household appliances, digital products, and AI terminals. Priorities include developing standards for interoperability among smart-home devices and completing national standards for basic communication protocols and data interfaces in smart devices.
The plan also discusses shortening the time required to formulate and update standards and establishing a rapid-response mechanism, while monitoring their implementation and assessing their impact. This point is important for manufacturers and consumers alike, because the expansion of smart devices depends not only on the capabilities of an individual device, but also on its ability to work with other devices and platforms.
What Changes in Practice?
The document provides a policy and market framework for expanding the use of AI products, but it does not announce a specific product or particular funding, nor does it specify a final list of eligible devices or a detailed timetable for each measure. Therefore, its direct impact will depend on how it is implemented by local governments and companies, and on the steps that relevant authorities take to turn the call into testing bases, experience centers, and applicable standards.
The plan also includes general financial and credit support for the consumption of automobiles, household appliances, digital products, and smart homes, subject to compliance with the law and risk control. For the technology sector, combining demand stimulus with the development of standards and infrastructure could expand channels for introducing smart devices, but the document alone does not establish the actual scale of support or the nature of the incentives consumers will receive.