- Regulation defines sector and introduces traceability framework
- City seeks to balance innovation push with risk oversight
Hangzhou put into effect China’s first local regulation targeting embodied AI robots, as policymakers move to formalize oversight of a fast-growing sector while accelerating industrial development.
The regulation, implemented May 1, establishes a legal definition for embodied intelligent robots and introduces a framework covering innovation, deployment and safety management.
It also explores a coding system akin to digital identification for robots, aimed at improving traceability and accountability.
The rules define embodied AI robots as machines with physical form that integrate perception, cognition, decision-making and action, enabling real-time interaction with the environment and execution of complex tasks—setting clearer boundaries for the technology.
Drafted in under a year, the regulation spans seven chapters and 50 articles, with a focus on targeted, flexible measures to address bottlenecks in technology, application scenarios and infrastructure, said Huang Min, deputy director at the city legislature’s legal affairs committee.
The goal is to “promote development” by providing clearer policy expectations, he said.
A identification system
The framework pairs the push with what officials describe as cautious regulation, including a proposed identification system.
“In the future, every humanoid robot will need its own ‘ID card’ before entering the workforce, ensuring traceability,” said Wang Xiaogang, co-founder of AI titan SenseTime and chairman of SenseTime-backed Ace Robotics (大晓机器人).
Hangzhou is home to more than 700 robotics-related companies, with the embodied AI cluster generating 106.8 billion yuan ($15.65 billion) in industrial output in 2025, up 5.6% year-on-year, according to Wang Yao, a local official involved in drafting the regulation.
“Legislation is a key step in securing Hangzhou’s early-mover advantage in this emerging field,” she said, adding that the approach could serve as a template for future industry regulation in China.
