Prime Highlights
- China has launched an ambitious National AI Healthcare Strategy aimed at improving diagnostic speed, accuracy and nationwide access through advanced AI tools.
- The initiative targets major healthcare inequalities, with AI-powered services expected to benefit over 600 million rural residents and strengthen more than 25,000 township and village clinics.
Key Facts
- Diagnostic accuracy in early pilot projects has improved from 85–90% to over 95%, while diagnosis time has dropped from 1–2 days to just minutes.
- China has allocated CNY 15–20 billion for nationwide AI healthcare expansion, with full adoption planned across all Grade 2+ hospitals by 2030.
Background
China has launched an ambitious National AI Healthcare Strategy to transform health services with advanced AI tools. The National Health Commission revealed the plan on November 4, 2025, setting clear goals to speed up diagnosis, improve accuracy, and expand access to quality healthcare nationwide.
The strategy centres on the use of Large Language Models, AI-enabled medical imaging, smart nursing tools and digital consultation systems. By 2027, China expects to build a national health information platform connecting hospitals at federal, provincial, city and county levels. By 2030, AI-assisted diagnosis is expected to become standard in primary care, offering specialist-level support to more than 900 million people.
Early pilot projects have shown major improvements. Diagnostic accuracy has risen from 85–90% to more than 95%, while diagnosis times have dropped from one to two days to just minutes. The government said these outcomes signal the potential of AI to reshape clinical decision-making, hospital imaging and primary consultation services.
A major focus of the plan is reducing long-standing healthcare inequalities between urban and rural areas. Of the population covered, over 600 million rural residents are expected to benefit from improved access to diagnostics and early detection. The initiative is also designed to assist healthcare workers in remote areas and strengthen more than 25,000 township and village clinics. Officials estimate that greater efficiency and early intervention could lower healthcare spending per person by up to 20% by 2030.
The rollout will happen in stages, starting with infrastructure planning until 2026, followed by pilot tests. Nationwide use is expected by 2027, with full adoption in all Grade 2+ hospitals by 2030. China has allocated CNY 15–20 billion to reduce misdiagnoses and expand imaging use across the country.
