On May 8, 2026, as a routine, the General Office of the State Council of China issued notice on the Annual Legislation Working Plan of the State Council for 2026 (hereinafter referred to as “the Working Plan”). It contains a full list of laws and regulations of the country that shall be revised or drafted within this year, providing a general idea to the public regarding what legislative changes may take place in 2026.

This year’s Working Plan is drafted in the considerations of: i) placing greater emphasis on aligning the rule of law with reform, development, and stability, and on safeguarding and promoting social fairness and justice; ii) further coordinating legislation, amendment, abolition, and interpretation; iii) strengthening legislative work in key areas, emerging fields, and international-related domains to enhance the quality and effectiveness of legislation.

For the specific list, the key tasks of the 2026 legislative work will generally focus on:

-   Build a high-level market economy system and accelerate the new development framework. 

-   Strengthen the rule of law in government and optimize a law-based business environment. 

-   Accelerate scientific and technological self-reliance and strength, and stimulate the cultural innovation and creativity of the entire nation. 

-   Enhance efforts to safeguard and improve people's livelihoods, and advance a comprehensive green transition of economic and social development. 

-   Promote the modernization of the national security system and capabilities, and build a safer China for the people and for economic activities. 

-   Strengthen the construction of foreign-related legal systems and capabilities to support broader and higher-level opening-up.

The Working Plan attached detailed list on the items that will be formulated/revised in 2026, and the ones that may of interest to foreign stakeholders mainly include:

-   Draft of the Financial Law

-   Revision draft of the Tendering and Bidding Law

-   Revision draft of the Road Traffic Safety Law

-   Revision draft of the Tax Collection and Administration Law

-   Revision draft of the Pricing Law

-   Revision draft of the Customs Law

-   Provisions on the Safety of Industry and Supply Chains of the State Council— published

-   Regulation of China on Countering the Inappropriate Extraterritorial Jurisdiction of Foreign Countries — published

-   Implementing Regulations of the Pharmaceutical Administration Law (Revision)

-   Regulations on Rules of Origin for Imported and Exported Goods (Revision)

-   Implementing Regulations of the Audit Law (Revision)

-   Regulations on the Protection of Layout-designs of Integrated Circuits (Revised)

-   Regulations on the Construction of a Unified National Market

-   Regulations on the Investigation and Management of Hidden Risks in Work Safety Accidents

Foreign stakeholders are also advised to notice that, despite the list that are emphasized shall be focused by national ministries as critical work of 2026, there is another list of laws and regulations that are intended to be worked on but may not be certain, and it may contain items that shall relate to the business of foreign interested parties.