China AI Agent Interconnection Standard Series

Overview

The "Artificial Intelligence - Agent Interconnection" (GB/Z 185-2026) series of national standards represents a landmark development in China's efforts to standardize and accelerate the deployment of intelligent agents. Issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) on May 22, 2026, this series is China's first comprehensive national standard system specifically addressing the interconnection of AI agents. It aims to establish a unified technical framework and standard basis for regulating key aspects of agent interconnection, thereby enhancing interoperability, composability, and the engineering application capabilities of AI agent systems. The standard is classified as a "guidance technical document" (GB/Z), meaning it provides recommendations and best practices rather than mandatory requirements, guiding industry development and innovation.

The GB/Z 185-2026 series is crucial for fostering an "AI cooperative era" by tackling fundamental challenges in multi-agent systems, such as mutual identification, discovery, and secure tool invocation across diverse vendors and platforms. Developed through the collaborative efforts of over 70 enterprises, universities, and research institutions, led by the China Electronics Standardization Institute (CESI), this standard fills a significant gap in the domestic and international landscape for multi-agent system interoperability. It lays the groundwork for a robust, open, and secure ecosystem where AI agents can seamlessly interact, share capabilities, and collectively achieve complex tasks, supporting the broader national "AI+" action plan for digital economy transformation.

Definitions

Within the context of the GB/Z 185-2026 series, several key terms are defined to ensure a common understanding and facilitate the implementation of agent interconnection. An "AI Agent" refers to an autonomous software entity or system capable of perceiving its environment, processing information, making decisions, and executing actions to achieve specific goals, often interacting with other agents or human users. These agents are designed to operate with a degree of independence and intelligence, ranging from simple task-oriented bots to complex, reasoning systems. The standard's focus is on enabling these diverse agents, potentially developed by different entities and running on various platforms, to communicate and collaborate effectively.

"Agent Interconnection" is defined as the overarching technical framework and set of protocols that enable seamless communication, interaction, and collaboration among heterogeneous AI agents. This concept encompasses the mechanisms for agents to discover each other, establish trusted identities, manage their capabilities, and engage in meaningful exchanges of information and services. The standard addresses core issues such as "identity trustworthiness," "authorization links," and "capability description," which are critical for building secure and efficient multi-agent systems. By standardizing these aspects, the GB/Z 185-2026 series aims to overcome the challenges of fragmentation and incompatibility that often hinder the development and deployment of large-scale, collaborative AI agent applications.

Governance and Institutional Framework

The governance and institutional framework for the GB/Z 185-2026 series is anchored by China's national standardization bodies. The standard was officially approved and released by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Standardization Administration of China (SAC), the primary authorities responsible for developing, approving, and publishing national standards in China. These bodies ensure that the standards align with national strategic objectives, promote market fairness, and safeguard public interest. The development process itself was overseen by the National Information Technology Standardization Technical Committee (TC28) and its Artificial Intelligence Subcommittee (TC28/SC42), which are instrumental in guiding the technical content and scope of AI-related standards.

The China Electronics Standardization Institute (CESI), an institute under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), played a pivotal role as the lead drafting organization for this series. CESI, with its deep expertise in information technology and standardization, spearheaded the collaborative effort involving over 70 entities, including prominent technology companies like Huawei, Alibaba Cloud, Ant Group, Xiaomi, ZTE, and Lenovo, as well as various research institutions and academic bodies. This multi-stakeholder approach ensures that the standard reflects a broad range of industry perspectives, technical advancements, and practical application needs, fostering wide acceptance and effective implementation across the AI ecosystem in China. The involvement of such a diverse group underscores the national commitment to building a unified and robust AI agent interoperability framework.

Key Focus Areas

The GB/Z 185-2026 "Artificial Intelligence - Agent Interconnection" series comprises seven distinct parts, each addressing a critical aspect of enabling seamless communication and collaboration among AI agents. These parts collectively establish a foundational standard system covering the overall architecture, identity management, capability description, and interaction mechanisms. The first part, GB/Z 185.1-2026, focuses on the "General Architecture," providing a unified conceptual and functional model for agent interconnection. This foundational document outlines the high-level structure and components necessary for agents to operate within a shared framework, ensuring consistency across the system.

Subsequent parts delve into specific technical details: GB/Z 185.2-2026 specifies the "Identity Code" for agents, establishing a unique and verifiable identifier for each agent to ensure trusted interactions. GB/Z 185.3-2026 addresses "Identity Management," outlining processes for agent registration, authentication, and authorization within the interconnected environment. GB/Z 185.4-2026 defines "Agent Description," providing a standardized language and format for agents to articulate their capabilities, functions, and data requirements, which is vital for discovery and semantic collaboration. GB/Z 185.5-2026 covers "Agent Discovery," detailing mechanisms for agents to locate and identify other agents with relevant capabilities. GB/Z 185.6-2026 focuses on "Agent Interaction," specifying protocols and methods for agents to communicate and exchange information. Finally, GB/Z 185.7-2026 addresses "Agent Tool Invocation," enabling agents to securely and effectively utilize external tools and services, thereby extending their functionalities. These seven parts collectively aim to resolve long-standing issues of interoperability, trusted identity, and cross-domain collaboration among heterogeneous AI agents.

Implementation Framework

The implementation framework for the GB/Z 185-2026 series is designed to facilitate its widespread adoption across various industries and applications in China. As a guidance technical document (GB/Z), it provides a flexible yet authoritative blueprint for developers, enterprises, and researchers to build and integrate AI agent systems. The standard is expected to be adopted by organizations developing multi-agent platforms, enterprise-level AI solutions, and specialized AI applications that require interoperability. Companies like Inspur Digital Enterprise, a key participant in the standard's development, are already aligning their enterprise-level AI agent platforms, such as Inspur Haiyue, with the AIP (Agent Interconnection Protocol) standard system. This involves building an enterprise-grade agent interconnection foundation that can abstract away differences in heterogeneous systems, model services, and tool capabilities through standard protocols.

The standard's implementation is also closely linked to China's broader "AI+" action plan, which aims to accelerate the integration of AI into various sectors of the economy. By providing a common technical language and set of protocols, the GB/Z 185-2026 series lowers the entry barrier for AI agent development and integration, promoting an open and collaborative AI ecosystem. It enables rapid integration of existing business systems with third-party AI services, moving AI agent applications from isolated point solutions to open, collaborative architectures. The standard is expected to foster innovation by providing a stable and predictable environment for agent development, encouraging greater investment and deployment of AI agents in real-world scenarios, thereby contributing to the high-quality development of China's digital economy.

Monitoring and Evaluation

While the GB/Z 185-2026 series is a newly released standard, its nature as a guidance technical document suggests an ongoing process of monitoring and evaluation to ensure its relevance, effectiveness, and adaptability to the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence. National standards in China, particularly those in emerging technology domains, typically undergo periodic review and revision to incorporate new technological advancements, address implementation challenges, and align with evolving policy objectives. The collaborative development process, involving numerous industry, academic, and research entities, indicates a built-in mechanism for feedback and continuous improvement from a diverse range of stakeholders.

Public events and application promotion meetings, such as the "GB/Z 185-2026 'Artificial Intelligence - Agent Interconnection' National Standard Application Promotion Special Meeting" held in Beijing, serve as platforms for gathering feedback on the standard's practical application. These forums allow implementers to share experiences, identify areas for clarification or improvement, and discuss future directions. The lead drafting organization, CESI, along with the National Information Technology Standardization Technical Committee (TC28/SC42), will likely continue to monitor the standard's impact, collect industry input, and initiate amendments or further development of related standards as the AI agent ecosystem matures. This iterative approach ensures that the GB/Z 185-2026 series remains a dynamic and effective instrument for guiding AI agent interoperability in China.

Penalties, Liability, and Appeals

As a "guidance technical document" (GB/Z standard), the GB/Z 185-2026 series primarily provides recommendations, best practices, and a technical framework for AI agent interconnection rather than mandatory legal requirements. Consequently, this standard does not stipulate specific penalties, liabilities, or appeal mechanisms for non-compliance in the same way that a mandatory law or regulation (like a GB standard) would. Organizations are encouraged to adopt these guidelines to ensure interoperability, security, and efficiency in their AI agent systems, but there are no direct legal sanctions for failing to adhere to them.

However, while direct penalties are absent, non-adherence to widely accepted industry standards like GB/Z 185-2026 could lead to indirect consequences. Companies that do not implement these standards might face challenges in achieving interoperability with other agent systems, limiting their market competitiveness and integration capabilities. They could also encounter difficulties in participating in collaborative AI projects or ecosystems that mandate compliance with these guidelines. Furthermore, in cases where AI agents cause harm or generate disputes, adherence to established national standards could serve as a mitigating factor or a benchmark for demonstrating due diligence, even if the standard itself does not define liability. Conversely, a lack of adherence might weaken a party's position in civil disputes related to system failures or security breaches involving AI agents.

Relationship to Other Instruments

The GB/Z 185-2026 series is strategically positioned within China's broader national AI strategy and regulatory landscape. It is a direct response to and an implementation tool for the国务院 "人工智能+" (AI+) action deployment, which aims to integrate AI across various industries to drive economic transformation. The standard provides the technical foundation for achieving the interoperability and collaborative capabilities envisioned by this national initiative, enabling AI agents to seamlessly interact within and across different sectors. It also aligns with the "智能体规范应用与创新发展实施意见" (Implementation Opinions on Regulating Application and Promoting Innovation of AI Agents) jointly issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which emphasizes strengthening the implementation of key national standards like the Agent Interconnection Protocol (AIP).

In an international context, the GB/Z 185-2026 series addresses gaps identified in existing international efforts, such as the Multi-Agent Communication Protocol (MCP) or Agent-to-Agent (A2A) communication frameworks. While these international initiatives focus on model-to-tool connections or agent-to-agent communication, the Chinese standard specifically tackles the crucial layer of "identity trustworthiness" in multi-vendor environments, which has often been a hurdle for widespread adoption. By systematically solving core issues like trusted identity, authorization links, and capability description, the GB/Z 185-2026 series aims to provide a more comprehensive and robust framework for multi-agent system interoperability. This distinct focus positions it as a significant contribution to global AI agent standardization, potentially influencing future international norms and fostering cross-border cooperation in AI development.

International Alignment

The GB/Z 185-2026 series, while a national standard, demonstrates a clear awareness of and aims to contribute to international efforts in AI agent interoperability. The standard's development acknowledges the limitations of existing international frameworks like MCP (Multi-Agent Communication Protocol) and A2A (Agent-to-Agent) communication, particularly regarding the crucial aspect of "identity trustworthiness" in multi-vendor environments. By providing systematic solutions for trusted identity, authorization links, and capability description, the Chinese standard fills a critical void that has hindered the seamless integration of diverse AI agents globally. This focus on foundational trust mechanisms is a key differentiator and a potential area for future international collaboration.

The collaborative nature of its development, involving numerous domestic and international technology companies, suggests an implicit alignment with global best practices and a desire for broader compatibility. While the standard is currently national, its comprehensive approach to agent interconnection, including aspects like identity management and tool invocation, could serve as a model or a complementary framework for international standardization bodies. As AI agents become increasingly prevalent in global supply chains and cross-border services, a common understanding and technical foundation for their interaction will be essential. The GB/Z 185-2026 series positions China to play a leading role in shaping these future global standards, promoting a more interoperable and secure international AI agent ecosystem.

Implementation Timeline

Compliance Checklist

Sources and References