China unveils measures to boost smart home consumption

 China on Monday unveiled an action plan to further promote smart home consumption by enriching application scenarios and expanding high-quality supply.

The plan, jointly issued by eight government departments including the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, also calls for supporting elderly-friendly renovation and smart upgrading of older homes while better meeting the consumption needs of different groups.

The plan sets out seven measures to expand high-quality smart home supply, improve the smart home standards system, support smart home consumption, develop elderly-friendly smart home products, streamline the service chain for recycling used household goods, optimize community services, and strengthen fiscal and financial support.

To expand supply, the plan encourages manufacturers to step up research and development of smart home products and supports home furnishing stores and shopping malls in setting up smart home experience centers and model rooms for whole-home smart systems and digital homes.

On standards, it calls for improving the grading and evaluation standards system for smart home products and accelerating the formulation and implementation of mandatory national standards on connectivity and interoperability.

To support consumption, the plan encourages local authorities to determine eligible smart home product categories and subsidy standards based on local conditions under China's 2026 consumer goods trade-in policy.

Under this year's consumer goods trade-in policy, local governments have greater flexibility in designing subsidy programs. The country plans to allocate 250 billion yuan (about 36.93 billion U.S. dollars) in ultra-long special treasury bond funds to support the nationwide program.