In recent years, the United States has continued to strengthen its regulatory oversight of connected vehicles and related software and hardware, with a particular focus on potential risks associated with automotive technologies and supply chains linked to certain countries, including China. On April 29, 2026, the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 (S. 4429) was introduced in the U.S. Senate, with a revised version submitted for Senate on September 22, 2026, for further consideration. The bill seeks to further restrict the entry of connected vehicles and related software and hardware associated with certain countries into the U.S. market.

In March 2026, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Accelerating the Establishment of a Long-Term Care Insurance System (the “Opinions”). This was followed by the Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Establishment of a Long-Term Care Insurance System (hereinafter referred to as “Implementation Plan”), jointly issued by the National Healthcare Security Administration and seven other authorities. The Implementation Plan aims to establish, within approximately three years, a long-term care insurance (hereinafter referred to as “LTCI”) system suited to China’s national conditions. The system is intended to operate as an independent social insurance scheme that meets basic long-term care needs.

On 15 August 2026, two key local regulations governing the calculation of sick leave salary in Shanghai expired without further extension by their enacting authority, Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, and therefore ceased to have effect. Accordingly, Shanghai’s longstanding tiered sick leave salary scheme, under which the rate of sick leave salary increases with the length of service of the employee, reaching up to 100% of their regular salary (the “Old Standards”), came to an end on 16 August.