China aims to substantially complete its national blockchain infrastructure by 2030, setting out plans to expand the technology across trade, finance, manufacturing, logistics and government services under its latest national information technology strategy.
The Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission published the National Informatization Plan for the 15th Five-Year Period, outlining the country’s digital development priorities. An announcement from the Cyberspace Administration of China on October 23 detailed plans for a central blockchain backbone, interconnected regional hubs and distributed digital identity services.
The plan establishes 2030 as the target for substantially completing China’s national blockchain network, although it does not confirm that the infrastructure is already operational or provide a dedicated budget for construction.
The initiative builds on earlier policy measures, including a joint opinion issued by the Communist Party’s Central Committee and the State Council on October 9. That policy outlined measures to accelerate technology development and strengthen the integration of digital infrastructure with industrial production.
Regional blockchain deployment to support trade and industry
The latest plan assigns specific blockchain applications to major economic regions, reflecting China’s intention to integrate the technology into existing commercial and industrial systems.
In the Yangtze River Delta, authorities intend to expand blockchain adoption in trade and financial services. The region is one of China’s principal economic centers, with extensive manufacturing, commercial activity, and financial infrastructure.
The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is expected to develop blockchain applications supporting airport connectivity and smart logistics. In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the plan emphasizes cross-border data flows, blockchain development and government services that operate across jurisdictions.
Meanwhile, the Chengdu-Chongqing economic region in southwestern China is expected to expand blockchain applications across commerce, manufacturing and agriculture.
Nationally, the plan identifies shipping and freight digitization, government administration, taxation, development planning and low-carbon transitions as areas for further deployment. These applications are intended to improve data exchange and coordination between businesses, institutions and public authorities.
The strategy combines centralized infrastructure development with regional applications, potentially enabling blockchain-based data sharing across multiple industries while supporting China’s broader digital transformation objectives.
Digital identity, privacy and technical standards
Beyond network construction, the plan calls for improvements to blockchain standards and infrastructure supporting the secure circulation of data.
Authorities intend to strengthen distributed digital identity services, improve mutual recognition of digital identities and expand the use of privacy-preserving computing in data transactions. The strategy also calls for stronger cryptographic protections and wider adoption of public online identity authentication services.
For cross-border data transfers, the document retains security assessments, standard contracts for personal information exports and certification procedures. It also proposes industry guidance, service centers and testing platforms to help businesses comply with applicable requirements.
The standards program covers blockchain alongside integrated circuits, operating systems and databases. China also intends to participate more actively in international standards development and promote the international adoption of national technical standards.
The broader infrastructure agenda includes national computing networks and closer coordination between computing facilities and electricity supplies. Blockchain is therefore positioned within a wider program to expand computing capacity, improve data utilization and strengthen technological capabilities.
Digital yuan development remains separate from crypto trading
The plan also calls for the steady development of China’s digital yuan, the central bank digital currency, alongside measures to regulate electronic trade documents and expand digital services.
However, the document does not establish a transaction target for the digital yuan or specify how the currency would connect to the proposed national blockchain backbone.
China continues to distinguish blockchain technology from cryptocurrency trading. Commercial activities involving crypto assets remain prohibited in mainland China, even as authorities promote blockchain research and applications in industrial and financial infrastructure.
The country’s broader blockchain push gained political momentum in 2019, when President Xi Jinping called for accelerated development and greater investment in the technology.
Funding and implementation details remain unclear
The plan’s digital economy targets include a goal for core digital economy industries to account for 12.5% of gross domestic product by 2030. Its implementation provisions assign coordination and monitoring responsibilities to central cyberspace authorities and call for regular national informatization reports.
The document also encourages the use of fiscal resources, industry funds, and long-term investment capital to support information technology development. However, it does not disclose a separate spending allocation or annual construction schedule for the blockchain network.
China’s 2030 target signals a long-term commitment to blockchain as part of its national digital infrastructure, with progress likely to depend on regional implementation, technical standardization, and the integration of secure data-sharing systems across industries.