Chinese authorities have rolled out a guideline for the development of an AI metrology system and related capacity building to map out the country's development of AI metrology capabilities in a systematic manner.

The guideline was released by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the National Development and Reform Commission.

The release of this guideline marks a critical shift in China's AI sector from simply expanding computing power and scale to improving quality and strengthening foundational capabilities, according to the SAMR.

This is of great significance for promoting the deep integration of AI technology with the real economy and accelerating the development of new quality productive forces, the SAMR said.

The guideline focuses on six key areas: foundational support, general technology, core technology, metrological technical standards, metrology service industry, and intelligent empowerment of metrology.

The outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), released in March 2026, clearly emphasizes comprehensive implementation of the "AI Plus" initiative.