China’s State Council has released its 2026 Legislative Work Plan, accelerating artificial intelligence governance across data rules, algorithms, computing power, intellectual property, cybersecurity and supply chain security while stopping short of a single comprehensive AI law. After a dedicated AI statute was deprioritized in 2025, the plan emphasizes targeted pilots and sector-specific measures, including new rules on AI ethics, AI agents and anthropomorphic interaction services expected to take effect between April and July. The blueprint introduces no new blockchain-specific laws, leaving that area shaped by existing rules such as the 2019 Cryptography Law; lawmakers in March 2026 also discussed a domestic blockchain acceleration chip said to lift performance by up to 50 times, without linking any tokens or platforms. China’s restrictive stance on crypto trading and mining since the 2021 bans appears unchanged. Separately, the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission’s Action Plan for Promoting High-Quality Development of Cyberspace and Information Enterprises (2026-2030) had already flagged AI and blockchain among areas for faster legislative work, alongside platform oversight, algorithm governance, telecom and cybercrime laws, and greener computing.