Implementing the Administrative Measures for Electronic Seals: Enhancing Governance and Digital Development in the Economy and Society
Publish Time: 2025-11-04
On September 27, 2025, the General Office of the State Council issued the Administrative Measures for Electronic Seals (hereinafter referred to as the “Measures”). Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the Measures thoroughly implement the strategic plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to accelerate the development of a cyber power and a digital China. They also align with the Electronic Signature Law of the People’s Republic of China and the Cryptography Law of the People’s Republic of China, providing an institutional foundation for regulating the management of electronic seals, promoting their widespread use, and better serving governance activities as well as digital economic and social development.I. Fully Understanding the Significance of the MeasuresImplementing the Measures will better advance the development of a digital China.Electronic documents are vital data assets and foundational carriers in digital transformation, serving as strategic resources for governance, economic and social development, and cultural preservation. Proper management and utilization of electronic documents are essential to unleashing their value. An electronic seal, essentially a reliable electronic signature realized through cryptographic technology, ensures the authenticity and integrity of electronic documents. By establishing standardized management and enhanced supervision of electronic seals, the Measures promote their adoption across government and society, improving information sharing, workflow efficiency, and public service performance—thus contributing to building a cyber power and a digital China.The Measures also strengthen the trust framework in the digital era.Physical seals have long served as symbols of identity and credibility—cornerstones of trust in Chinese society. In the digital age, electronic seals that replicate the appearance of physical seals and are secured by cryptographic technology provide trusted identity authentication for organizations. The Measures clarify the definition, management, and technical attributes of electronic seals, ensuring their legal validity and functional reliability. This helps foster broad recognition and adoption of electronic seals across sectors, thereby consolidating the trust foundation of the digital era.In addition, implementing the Measures will promote the development of a unified national market.Due to the absence of unified national regulations, previous electronic seal management suffered from unclear responsibilities and limited cross-regional and cross-departmental mutual recognition, which constrained their effectiveness. The Measures eliminate these barriers by fostering mutual recognition of electronic seals in governmental and public service activities, facilitating interoperability of electronic certificates, contracts, and other documents. This supports streamlined governance (“one-stop online services”) and efficient administrative processes, reduces administrative and transaction costs, improves the business environment, and accelerates the formation of a unified national market.II. Understanding the Core Spirit and Content of the MeasuresThe Measures consist of eight chapters and thirty-eight articles, defining the connotation, legal effect, responsibilities, management requirements, and mutual recognition framework for electronic seals.Clarifying the legal foundation to strengthen application.The Measures define electronic seals from both technical and functional perspectives: as data in a specific format representing a seal, generated using cryptographic and digital technologies to realize a reliable electronic signature. They specify the scope and usage of various electronic seal types, such as official name seals and departmental seals, and clarify key terms including seal ownership and electronic signing. According to the Electronic Signature Law, “electronic seals that meet the requirements of these Measures have the same legal effect as physical seals,” thereby establishing a solid legal basis for their use across government and society.Building a clear responsibility framework for management.The Measures identify the primary entities responsible for electronic seal management, including the State Cryptography Administration, the General Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and public security authorities, as well as local cryptography administrations. They require all regions and departments to strengthen the management and promotion of electronic seals within their jurisdictions, designate issuing and managing bodies, and oversee certification service providers. This ensures that responsibilities for electronic seal governance are clearly defined and properly enforced.Regulating full life-cycle management.The Measures emphasize coordinated advancement, tiered oversight, standardized procedures, and controllable security throughout the electronic seal lifecycle—from application, production, and registration to use and cancellation. Seal owners must properly safeguard and use their electronic seals, while the signing and verification processes must comply with legal and technical standards. The Measures also stipulate penalties for violations, defining the legal boundaries for seal management.Strengthening interoperability and mutual recognition.Mutual recognition is essential to the effectiveness and broad adoption of electronic seals. The Measures require national and local authorities to strengthen the infrastructure supporting cross-regional and cross-departmental interoperability. The State Cryptography Administration, in collaboration with other relevant departments, is tasked with developing interoperability standards. Government agencies and entities performing public service functions are encouraged to adopt compliant electronic seals in their business activities, thereby fostering a trustworthy and interoperable digital environment.III. Ensuring Effective Implementation of the MeasuresThe introduction of the Measures provides the institutional framework for modernizing electronic seal management. All regions and departments must align with the decisions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to ensure effective implementation, strengthen regulation, and promote widespread adoption in support of digital China initiatives.Raising awareness and understanding.Relevant departments must organize training and outreach activities to ensure that personnel in cryptography, e-governance, data, and information management fully understand and apply the Measures. Public communication through online and media platforms should promote awareness and guide proper use of electronic seals across society.Ensuring concrete implementation.Authorities responsible for electronic seal management must fulfill their duties in accordance with the Measures. Each region and department should refine operational procedures, clarify responsibilities, and standardize workflows for application, production, and registration to ensure that all requirements are properly enforced.Accelerating universal adoption.Efforts should be made to enable online and mobile processing of seal-related applications, registrations, and verifications, making it more convenient for organizations to obtain and use electronic seals. Interoperability frameworks must be strengthened to expand the use of electronic seals in government administration, public services, and related industries—facilitating “one seal for multiple uses,” “mutual recognition of seals,” and cross-regional and cross-departmental applications. This will further demonstrate the functional and institutional value of electronic seals.All regions and departments should seize the opportunity presented by the Measures to optimize electronic seal management and enhance their role in empowering digital transformation—contributing to the modernization of governance and the advancement of digital China.（Source: People’s Daily, State Cryptography Administration）The “Wudian-Tongyuan” Electronic Seal: A Trusted Model of Standardized Digital Identity The Wudian-Tongyuan Electronic Seal is a cryptographically secured, government-registered, and tamper-proof digital seal. Both its registration certificates and digitally signed documents can be verified in real time via the National Electronic Seal Management and Service Platform and its Shenzhen Sub-Center, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of digital documents.As a practical embodiment of the standardized, interoperable, and legally recognized electronic seals advocated in the Administrative Measures for Electronic Seals, the Wudian-Tongyuan Electronic Seal provides a trusted foundation for verifying document authenticity and ensuring secure digital transactions. It is not only a core enabler of enterprise digital transformation but also a strategic tool that enhances competitiveness, mitigates operational risks, and empowers businesses to expand confidently in the digital era.
