China Unveils Comprehensive Guidelines to Boost Sci-Tech Insurance for Technological Self-Reliance

New Guidelines Issued to Bolster Innovation

China has officially released new guidelines designed to accelerate the high-quality development of sci-tech insurance, a strategic move aimed at strengthening the nation's technological self-reliance. The comprehensive document, made public on Monday, March 2, 2026, was jointly issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the China National Intellectual Property Administration.

The guidelines outline 20 specific measures across six key areas, intending to establish a sci-tech insurance system that is closely aligned with the country's technological innovation goals.

Strategic Objectives and Scope

The primary objective of these guidelines is to position sci-tech insurance as a 'shock absorber' and 'stabilizer' for innovation. This mechanism is crucial for offsetting the inherent high costs, extended development cycles, and elevated risks associated with technological breakthroughs. Officials have linked this policy to building China's technological self-reliance, particularly 'amid growing tensions with the U.S. over advanced technology.'

Key areas of focus within the new guidelines include:

• Improving risk-sharing mechanisms for major technological breakthroughs.
• Strengthening insurance support for national strategic technological forces.
• Promoting more accessible and affordable insurance products for tech-focused small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), ensuring easier access and convenient claims processes.
• Providing insurance services for major national sci-tech missions and key technological breakthroughs.
• Enhancing insurance support for strategic regions such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
• Developing flexible insurance solutions for innovative models, including 'use first, pay later' commercialization of technological achievements.
• Focusing on frontier sectors like artificial intelligence, integrated circuits, quantum technology, and brain-computer interfaces.
• Encouraging insurance institutions to increase financial support for venture capital firms specializing in cutting-edge technology.

Performance and Future Outlook

In 2025, sci-tech insurance in China provided approximately 8 trillion yuan (about US$1.16-1.2 trillion) in risk coverage, with premiums experiencing a significant year-on-year increase of 44 percent. This growth underscores the increasing role of insurance in supporting the nation's technological ambitions.

The guidelines also encourage insurance funds to prioritize support for enterprises undertaking major national science and technology projects and to strengthen investment deployment in emerging and future industries. This strategic direction aims to ensure that the insurance sector acts as a robust economic shock absorber for innovation, addressing any mismatches between insurance services and the practical needs of the innovation ecosystem.