China Releases First National Standards for AI Agent Interoperability and Identity
China has officially released the GB/Z185-2026 national standard system, marking the country's first framework for AI agent interconnection across their entire lifecycle. The system introduces unique "agent identity codes" to act as digital ID cards, with over 2,000 codes already issued to key industry agents. By establishing unified rules for identity, collaboration, and tool calling, this standard aims to break down "isolated islands of intelligence" caused by vendor incompatibility. As the world's first systematic standard for agent interconnection, it could shape global AI governance and interoperability frameworks. The GB/Z185-2026 series consists of seven standards covering overall architecture, identity management, capability description, cross-domain discovery, collaborative interaction, and tool calling. Major Chinese tech firms, including Volcengine, Xiaomi, Kuaishou, and Lenovo, actively participated in drafting these standards.
## BACKGROUND
AI agents are autonomous systems designed to perceive their environment, make decisions, and execute tasks using tools. As different developers build proprietary agents, the lack of common communication protocols prevents these agents from collaborating, creating fragmented ecosystems similar to early internet silos.