Storyline China expands 2026 trade-in program to cover more products A new plan from China's National Development and Reform Commission together with the Ministry of Finance lays out details for the country's large-scale equipment renewal and consumer goods trade-in programs for 2026. The plan says consumers will still receive subsidies for trade-ins of things like cars, refrigerators, washing machines, TV's, air conditioners, computers and water heaters. But several new items have been added to the subsidies list including smart devices like AI glasses, and elderly-care products. Zou Yunhan, Deputy director, Macroeconomic Research Department, State Information Center: "The 2026 consumer goods trade-in policy focuses on promoting new products, with the addition of subsidies for smart products. When consumers purchase intelligent items such as AI glasses, they can also benefit from the trade-in subsidy. This approach accelerates the adoption of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence in everyday life and makes high-quality, intelligent products more accessible to the general public." For large-scale equipment renewals, the updated program will now include elevators in old residential buildings, equipment in elderly care facilities, and firefighting rescue equipment. The government has allocated more than 8.8 billion U.S. dollars in ultra-long special treasury bonds this year to fund the program. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]