Accessibility law · Asia-Pacific

China GB/T 37668-2019 (recommended; draws on WCAG 2.0 and 2.1)

In China, the standard to meet is GB/T 37668-2019 (recommended; draws on WCAG 2.0 and 2.1). It binds publicly funded websites and apps, device makers, telecom operators and self-service terminals in listed venues; commercial sites are only encouraged. This page was reviewed against primary sources on 30 September 2026.

Standard
GB/T 37668-2019 (recommended; draws on WCAG 2.0 and 2.1)
Private sector
Partly
Accessibility statement
Not required
Latest
Sep 2023
Reviewed
30 September 2026
WCAG 2.2 criteria All jurisdictions Checklist

Scope

Who it applies to

China's Barrier-Free Environment Law (in force 1 September 2023) requires websites, service platforms and mobile apps built with public funds to gradually meet accessible design and national information accessibility standards, chiefly the recommended standard GB/T 37668-2019. Commercial sites and apps in news, social, shopping, health, finance, education and transport are only encouraged to follow, while self-service terminals in banks, hospitals, metro stations, airports, stations, ports and large scenic areas must have voice, large-print and braille functions. Regulators can order fixes and then publicly criticize those who fail their information-accessibility duties; fines are set only for telecom operators (CNY 10,000–100,000).

  • Public sector

    Websites, service platforms and mobile apps set up with government funds must gradually conform (art. 32). Government service hotlines and emergency call systems must gradually add accessible functions (art. 35), and governments must make public information accessible, using accessible formats for emergency information where conditions allow (art. 29).

  • Private sector

    Partly

    Private websites and apps are encouraged, not required (art. 32). Binding duties fall on makers of multimedia devices, mobile smart terminals and telecom terminals (products must gradually gain voice and large-print functions), operators of self-service terminals in listed venues (art. 33), and telecom operators (art. 34). MIIT's 2020–2021 retrofit campaign asked websites and apps within the campaign to meet its ageing-friendly design specifications and GB/T 37668-2019.

Coverage

What it covers

Websites are only part of it. Each tile says whether these rules reach that kind of product, with the detail.

  • Websites

    Partly

    Required, gradually, only for publicly funded sites; others encouraged (art. 32).

  • Mobile apps

    Partly

    Same as websites; mini-programs have their own standard, GB/T 45395-2025.

  • Documents

    Not covered

    No rule for electronic documents; accessible book formats are only encouraged (art. 31).

  • Software

    Partly

    Makers of mobile smart terminals and telecom terminals must gradually add voice and large-print functions (art. 33).

  • Kiosks and terminals

    Partly

    Self-service terminals in listed venues must have voice, large-print and braille functions (art. 33).

  • Public procurement

    Partly

    The state uses funding, government procurement and tax incentives to promote accessible technology (art. 54); no mandatory procurement standard.

Timeline

Deadlines

Every date here is already in force.

Dates move, so check the linked source before you plan around one.

  1. 1 Mar 2020 In force

    GB/T 37668-2019 takes effect for web pages, mobile web pages and mobile apps.

    Source

  2. 6 Apr 2021 In force

    MIIT sets the standards for its retrofit campaign: ageing-friendly specifications plus GB/T 37668-2019.

    Source

  3. 30 Sep 2021 In force

    Deadline for websites and apps in MIIT's campaign to finish ageing-friendly and accessibility retrofits.

    Source

  4. 28 Jun 2023 In force

    Barrier-Free Environment Law adopted by the NPC Standing Committee.

    Source

  5. 1 Sep 2023 In force

    Barrier-Free Environment Law takes effect, including its information-accessibility chapter.

    Source

  6. 28 Mar 2025 In force

    GB/T 45395-2025 on mini-program accessibility published and in effect.

    Source

Instruments

The law in China

4 laws, rules and rulings, oldest first. Each links to its primary source.

Every fact points at a primary source. Dates move, and several moved in 2025 and 2026, so check the source before you rely on one.

  1. 2019

    GB/T 37668-2019 信息技术 互联网内容无障碍可访问性技术要求与测试方法

    Recommended national standard — Internet content accessibility requirements and conformance testing

    Technical requirements and test methods for web pages, including mobile web pages, and mobile apps. It draws on WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 but is not identical to either.

    Primary source

  2. Dec 2020 · Apr 2021

    互联网应用适老化及无障碍改造专项行动

    MIIT special action — 工信部信管〔2020〕200号 and 工信厅信管函〔2021〕67号

    A retrofit campaign for websites and apps. Websites follow MIIT's ageing-friendly specification, GB/T 37668-2019 and YD/T 1822-2008; apps follow MIIT's app specification and GB/T 37668-2019. Passing sites and apps received a two-year information accessibility mark.

    Primary source

  3. Sep 2023 Latest

    中华人民共和国无障碍环境建设法

    Law on the Construction of a Barrier-Free Environment — ch. 3 (arts. 29–38), arts. 62–71

    Requires publicly funded websites, platforms and apps to gradually meet accessibility standards, requires accessible self-service terminals in listed venues and accessible telecom services, and only encourages commercial sites and apps.

    Primary source

  4. Mar 2025

    GB/T 45395-2025 信息技术 小程序应用无障碍技术要求

    Recommended national standard — MiniApp accessibility

    Accessibility requirements for mini-programs that run inside host apps.

    Primary source

Enforcement

Enforcement and penalties

  • Who enforces

    County-level and higher governments and their departments (housing, civil affairs, industry and IT, transport and others, art. 7); for information accessibility, the cyberspace, industry and IT, telecom, radio and television, and press and publication authorities (art. 66); people's procuratorates (art. 63).

  • How

    Supervision and joint inspections (art. 58), target-responsibility assessments (art. 59), third-party evaluations published by local authorities (art. 60), complaints and reports from anyone (art. 62), and procuratorial recommendations or public-interest litigation (art. 63).

  • Penalties

    Failing to fulfil information-accessibility duties: an order to correct within a time limit, then public criticism if not corrected (art. 66). Telecom operators that do not provide accessible information services: a fine of CNY 10,000 to 100,000 (art. 67). Civil liability for personal injury or property loss (art. 71).

  • Individuals

    Anyone can complain to or report to the relevant department, which must handle it and reply promptly (art. 62). Civil claims for injury or loss follow general law (art. 71); public-interest suits are brought by procuratorates.

Accessibility statement

No statement is required

Not required

No duty to publish an accessibility statement. Under MIIT's 2021 campaign, websites and apps that passed evaluation by the Internet Society of China (websites) or CAICT (apps) could receive an information accessibility mark valid for two years.

Exemptions

What is exempt

Exemptions are narrow and usually have to be claimed and explained, not assumed.

  • Private websites and apps are only encouraged to conform (art. 32).
  • Duties for publicly funded sites, device makers and government hotlines are to conform "gradually", with no deadline in the law.
  • The self-service terminal duty applies only to the venues listed in art. 33.

Meeting it

Where to start

The standard named here is GB/T 37668-2019 (recommended; draws on WCAG 2.0 and 2.1).

  1. Audit your pages against the standard named above; it maps onto WCAG success criteria.
  2. Check text and control contrast in the Contrast Checker.
  3. Run the URL Analyzer for the problems a machine can find, then test with a keyboard and a screen reader.
  4. If you sell to the public sector, document conformance in an accessibility conformance report, such as a VPAT or an EN 301 549 statement.
  5. Work through the Accessibility Checklist and keep a record of what you tested.

This is a summary to orient you, not legal advice. For a decision that matters, read the primary sources and ask a lawyer who practices there.

Questions

Common questions

  • Does it apply to private companies?

    Mostly as encouragement. Commercial websites and apps are encouraged, not required, to meet accessibility standards. Binding duties apply to makers of mobile and telecom terminals, operators of self-service terminals in banks, hospitals, transport hubs and large scenic areas, and telecom operators.

  • Which standard should we test against?

    GB/T 37668-2019 for web pages, mobile web pages and apps, plus MIIT's ageing-friendly design specifications if you took part in its retrofit campaign, and GB/T 45395-2025 for mini-programs. GB/T 37668 draws on WCAG 2.0 and 2.1, so a WCAG 2.1 AA test covers much of it, but it is not a one-to-one match.

  • Is GB/T 37668-2019 mandatory?

    It is a recommended (GB/T) standard. The law makes publicly funded websites and apps gradually conform to national information accessibility standards, which is what gives it force for them.

  • What are the penalties?

    For information-accessibility failures, an order to correct and then public criticism; there is no fine. Telecom operators that fail to provide accessible services face CNY 10,000 to 100,000. Procuratorates can bring public-interest litigation.

Sources

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these; the few secondary sources are marked. Reviewed 30 September 2026.

Elsewhere

Also in Asia-Pacific

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