China Blockchain Strategy: Beijing Backs the Technology While Keeping Its Crypto Ban

China wants its national blockchain network largely finished by 2030. The goal appears in the 15th Five Year Plan for National Informatization, which was released on Friday and focuses on how the country will build out its digital economy.

Where China Plans to Use Blockchain First

The plan assigns different jobs to different regions. The Yangtze River Delta is expected to push blockchain further into trade and finance, while the Chengdu and Chongqing area in the southwest is meant to roll it out at scale across manufacturing and agriculture. Officials also want tougher technical standards and wider use of the technology for data circulation and data trading.

Who Is Behind the National Blockchain Network

The Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission issued the document. It is a senior Communist Party body that coordinates digital policy. The 2030 deadline is not entirely new, because the network was already part of the national development plan unveiled in March, and a joint policy from the party leadership and the State Council on October 9 called for its construction.

Crypto Ban and Blockchain Support Side by Side

None of this changes China’s stance on digital assets. Mainland China still bans business activity tied to cryptocurrencies, yet it treats blockchain as a strategic priority. That approach goes back to October 2019, when President Xi Jinping urged more investment in the technology.