context: OpenClaw’s user base in the PRC has reportedly surpassed that of the US, with adoption rapidly expanding from developer communities into industry and government. Following an influx of developers and start-ups, local governments are beginning to position it as a key driver of the next wave of AI industrialisation and 'new quality productive forces' under the 15th 5-year plan. At the central level, no unified policy has yet been issued. Authorities appear to be tacitly allowing local experimentation while remaining cautious over cybersecurity risks. Government agencies and state owned enterprises have reportedly been warned against installing OpenClaw on work devices due to security concerns.
According to Caixin, Shenzhen’s Longgang district has introduced one of the most comprehensive policy frameworks, proposing to build an innovation ecosystem around OpenClaw and the concept of 'OPC' (one-person companies)
- data and computing support
- opening public datasets in areas such as low-altitude airspace, transport, healthcare and urban governance
- subsidies for enterprises purchasing data and computing resources
- financial incentives
- subsidies covering up to 40 percent of project investment for AI agent solutions
- integration with start-up policies
- up to C¥10 million in equity investment for selected projects
- subsidised office space
- talent subsidies and free accommodation
Other cities are also rolling out supportive measures
- Wuxi
- funding support for applications built on OpenClaw and similar agent frameworks
- development of AI agent industry clusters
- provision of office space, computing resources and start-up services
- Shanghai
- competitions and related events
- start-up incubation, industry matchmaking and investor engagement
Central authorities remain cautious. Ministry affiliated NVDB (National Vulnerability Database) on 11 March issued guidance on mitigating security risks associated with OpenClaw.
At the same time, state-backed infrastructure is providing support. The National Supercomputing Internet Platform announced free access for OpenClaw users, offering 10 million tokens per user for two weeks, followed by discounted usage at C¥0.1 per million tokens.