The roadmap was issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s main economic planning body, together with other state institutions. According to the document, some provinces are expected to fully implement AI-based functions by the end of 2026, including irregularity detection, AI-assisted bid evaluation and the identification of collusion in tendering processes. The plan foresees the nationwide rollout of these practices by 2028.
Among the planned applications are tools for analysing sectoral trends, assessing supply and demand balances and checking regulatory backgrounds, designed to support the definition of technical and commercial requirements during the preparatory phase of public tenders. During the drafting of tender documents, AI systems are expected to enable the early detection of illegal clauses or provisions that unduly restrict competition.
On the bidders’ side, artificial intelligence could assist in preparing proposals, analysing the risk of contractual non-compliance and verifying submitted documentation.
The plan stresses, however, that conclusions generated by AI systems do not replace the independent judgement of the parties involved nor exempt them from their legal responsibilities. It also предусматри strict requirements for the registration, review and security of the algorithms used, in order to mitigate risks such as lack of transparency, errors or bias.
The announcement comes amid the rapid expansion of China’s AI ecosystem, driven by the launch of advanced language models by companies such as ByteDance, DeepSeek, Alibaba and Baidu, alongside growing political support for technological self-sufficiency.
China is seeking to consolidate its domestic capabilities in AI models, data and computing infrastructure, against the backdrop of intensifying rivalry with the United States in the field of artificial intelligence.
