China regulates AI through a vertical stack of Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) rules in 2026: Algorithm Recommendation Provisions (2022), Deep Synthesis Provisions (2023), Interim Measures for Generative AI Services (August 2023), AI-Generated Content Labelling Measures (September 2025), and a draft national AI Law released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences for consultation.
China's AI governance is issued jointly by the CAC, MIIT, Ministry of Public Security, and other regulators. The foundational instruments are the Cybersecurity Law (2017), Data Security Law (2021), and Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL, 2021). On top sit AI-specific rules administered primarily by the CAC.
The Interim Measures for the Management of Generative AI Services took effect 15 August 2023 (Order No. 15, CAC). The Administrative Measures for AI-Generated Synthetic Content Labelling (jointly issued by CAC, MIIT, MPS, and NRTA) took effect 1 September 2025. A comprehensive AI Law is on the State Council's 2025-2026 legislative agenda.
| Regulation | Year | Core Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Algorithm Recommendation Provisions | 2022 | Recommendation algorithms (news, e-commerce, short video) |
| Deep Synthesis Provisions | 2023 | Deepfakes, face-swap, voice cloning |
| Interim Measures for Generative AI Services | 2023 | Public-facing LLMs and image generators |
| Ethics Review Measures for S&T Activities | 2023 | Research ethics for high-risk AI |
| AI-Generated Content Labelling Measures | 2025 | Mandatory visible and embedded content labels |
| Draft AI Law | 2025-2026 | Comprehensive national statute (under review) |
| Content Type | Explicit Label (human-readable) | Implicit Label (metadata) |
|---|---|---|
| AI-generated text | "AI-generated" text or icon visible to user | Required per GB/T 45438-2025 |
| AI-generated image | Visible watermark or caption | Required |
| AI-generated video | Persistent on-screen marker | Required |
| AI-generated voice | Spoken or text disclosure at start | Required |
Baidu's ERNIE Bot, Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen, ByteDance's Doubao, and iFlytek's Spark — all completed mandatory CAC security assessments and algorithm filings before public launch in 2023-2024.
Tencent Hunyuan — Filed under the Deep Synthesis Provisions for its face-reenactment feature.
Meitu — Fined CNY 500,000 in 2024 for using user photos to train AI without explicit consent, under PIPL Article 66.
Any company offering generative AI to users in mainland China — domestic or foreign-invested — must:
Q: Do foreign companies have to comply? Yes — any generative AI service targeting users in mainland China must comply, regardless of corporate headquarters.
Q: Is ChatGPT available in China? No — OpenAI services are not authorised for mainland China access.
Q: What is an algorithm filing? A CAC registration disclosing algorithm purpose, type, training data, and risk controls; required before public launch.
Q: What are the penalties? Up to CNY 100,000 and service suspension under the Interim Measures; PIPL penalties reach CNY 50 million or 5% of revenue.
Q: Does the Hong Kong SAR follow these rules? No — Hong Kong has its own AI guidelines from the PCPD and HKMA.
Q: When will the national AI Law pass? Expected 2026-2027; the draft is under NPC review.
Q: Are open-source models exempt from labelling? No — any public-facing deployment must label outputs.
China has one of the world's most comprehensive AI rule-stacks. Companies targeting Chinese users must treat algorithm filing, content labelling, and PIPL compliance as gating requirements.
Misar AI's China AI compliance guide is updated monthly — visit misar.blog/china-ai.
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