China
Overview
China’s AML/CFT system developed from Criminal Law money-laundering criminalisation in 1997 and binding PBOC preventive/reporting rules in 2003 into the comprehensive 2006 AML Law. The revised AML Law adopted on 8 November 2024 has been the principal current statute since 1 January 2025, with new CDD, BO-identification and special-preventive implementing measures effective in 2026.
A national beneficial-owner information filing regime took effect on 1 November 2024. Dedicated financial-institution beneficial-owner identification rules took effect on 20 January 2026, linking CDD to the national BO-information architecture.
Large-value and suspicious reporting moved from the 2003 RMB/foreign-exchange rule set to a consolidated 2007 framework designating CAMLMAC as recipient, then to PBOC Order 2016 No. 3 effective 1 July 2017. The 2018 amendment requires prompt electronic filing after internal confirmation of suspicion. Current reporting duties operate under the revised AML Law and amended PBOC framework.
Compliance Calendar3
Requirement
Beneficial ownership information filing and updating
Authority / Report toState Administration for Market Regulation / designated BO information system with PBOC AML use
Deadline / triggerFiling/updating is mandatory under the current BO measures. Exact entity-specific filing-day clock is not asserted here without current provision-level confirmation.
Requirement
- Subject scope
- Legal persons and arrangements/entities within the scope of the Measures for the Administration of Beneficial Ownership Information, subject to exemptions and detailed scope rules.
- Trigger
- Formation/registration and changes to reportable beneficial ownership information.
- Filing channel
- Registration / BO information filing mechanism prescribed by the Measures.
Impact
- Consequences of non-compliance
- Non-compliance may lead to corrective/administrative measures under the BO/registration framework; a single fine is not generalised.
- Enforcement authority
- SAMR / PBOC and competent authorities
- Operational impact
- Entity-governance workflows should treat BO changes as reportable master-data events and retain evidence of timely registry updates.
Requirement
Suspicious transaction reporting
Authority / Report toPeople’s Bank of China AML system / China Anti-Money Laundering Monitoring and Analysis Center (CAMLMAC)
Deadline / triggerPrompt reporting is required under the applicable AML/reporting framework; mapped sources do not display a numeric universal clock without verifying the current post-reform implementing provision.
Requirement
- Subject scope
- Financial institutions and other obligated entities within the revised PRC AML framework, subject to sector-specific rules.
- Trigger
- Suspicious transaction/activity trigger under the AML Law and implementing reporting measures.
- Filing channel
- Official AML reporting systems under PBOC/CAMLMAC; institution-specific technical route not generalised.
Impact
- Consequences of non-compliance
- Failure to comply can result in administrative/supervisory sanctions under the revised AML framework; penalty depends on breach, entity and implementing provisions.
- Enforcement authority
- People’s Bank of China and competent financial regulators
- Operational impact
- Policies should be mapped to the revised 2025 AML Law and current PBOC implementing measures rather than relying on legacy reporting-rule summaries.
Requirement
Risk-based AML governance and customer controls
Authority / Report toPBOC and competent sector regulators
Deadline / triggerOngoing; no single fixed filing date.
Requirement
- Subject scope
- Financial institutions and other obligated entities under the revised AML Law and implementing regulations.
- Trigger
- Continuous regulated activity and risk changes.
- Filing channel
- Internal risk management, CDD, records, monitoring and governance; regulator reporting as specifically required.
Impact
- Consequences of non-compliance
- Deficiencies may lead to supervisory remediation and administrative sanctions under the revised AML regime.
- Enforcement authority
- PBOC / competent financial regulators
- Operational impact
- Maintain a documented post-reform control framework aligned to risk, CDD, monitoring, records and escalation requirements.
Authorities & FIU6
FATF Assessment
Measures how fully the jurisdiction has implemented FATF’s technical requirements. It does not measure practical effectiveness.
Measures whether the AML/CFT system achieves its intended results in practice. Follow-up reports do not normally replace these ratings.
Explore 40 FATF RecommendationsSee every Technical Compliance rating and what it means.+
Explore 11 Immediate OutcomesSee how FATF rates whether the AML/CFT system works in practice.+
Regulatory Timeline53
The eight-department special-preventive measures replace the 2014 terrorist-asset-freezing rule with a broader framework covering terrorist lists, UN-related targeted financial sanctions and PBOC-designated major money-laundering risk lists, expressly addressing ML, TF and proliferation financing.
Dedicated BO-identification measures connect financial-institution CDD to the national beneficial-owner information architecture and require identification and reasonable verification.
The post-revised-law CDD/records measures replace the older customer-identification framework and apply risk-sensitive customer due diligence, including enhanced and simplified measures.
From August 2025, sector-specific binding measures operationalise revised-law AML duties for precious-metals/gem dealers and professional sectors; real-estate, accounting and notary measures follow on their own dates.
FATF revised Recommendation 16 to standardise payment information and strengthen fraud/error controls in cross-border payments.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗FATF amended Recommendation 1 and related interpretive material to strengthen proportionality and simplified measures under the risk-based approach.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗The revised AML Law replaces the 2006 statute from 1 January 2025, strengthening risk-based governance, extending specified non-financial coverage, formalising BO and special-preventive architecture, and updating enforcement and international cooperation.
PBOC and SAMR establish a national beneficial-owner information filing architecture for entities within scope, creating a registry-based transparency layer beyond customer-level CDD.
FATF revised Recommendations 4, 30, 31 and 38 and related interpretive material to make asset recovery a stronger operational priority, expand tools to trace and confiscate criminal property and improve domestic and international cooperation.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗At its February 2023 Plenary FATF revised Recommendation 25 and its Interpretive Note to strengthen transparency and beneficial-ownership requirements for trusts and similar legal arrangements, complementing the 2022 strengthening of Recommendation 24 for legal persons.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗FATF strengthened Recommendation 24 on beneficial ownership transparency for legal persons.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗The 2021 supervision measures formalise risk-based supervision, institutional risk assessment and AML/CTF management expectations across financial institutions.
Criminal Law Amendment XI removes the former third-party-assistance limitation in Article 191 and brings self-laundering into the offence architecture.
FATF amended Recommendations 1 and 2 and their Interpretive Notes so countries and covered private-sector entities must identify, assess and mitigate risks of breaches, non-implementation or evasion of proliferation-related targeted financial sanctions.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗The Basel Committee revised its ML/TF risk-management guidelines to add principles for information exchange and cooperation between prudential and AML/CFT supervisors in authorisation, ongoing supervision and enforcement.
A Basel supervisory publication does not become domestic law merely because it is GLOBAL. National adoption, supervisory use or incorporation must be evidenced by a LOCAL milestone or source.
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision ↗FATF adopted detailed implementation requirements for virtual assets and VASPs in June 2019, including the application of wire-transfer information requirements commonly described as the Travel Rule. This operationalised the virtual-asset perimeter introduced through the 2018 Recommendation 15 revision.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗In October 2018 FATF revised Recommendation 15 and added the definitions of virtual asset and virtual asset service provider, formally bringing virtual-asset activity into the global AML/CFT standards architecture. Detailed implementation requirements followed in 2019.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗PBOC Order 2018 No. 2 requires prompt electronic filing after internal confirmation rather than the previous fixed outer filing period.
PBOC Order 2016 No. 3 replaces the 2006 reporting measure and consolidates reporting requirements under a modern framework.
The Counter-Terrorism Law places terrorist organisation/person designation and immediate freezing/reporting duties in national legislation and provides an enforcement framework for non-compliance.
The Basel Committee issued Sound management of risks related to money laundering and financing of terrorism, superseding its 2001 CDD and 2004 consolidated KYC papers and integrating ML/TF risk management with prudential supervisory expectations.
A Basel supervisory publication does not become domestic law merely because it is GLOBAL. National adoption, supervisory use or incorporation must be evidenced by a LOCAL milestone or source.
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision ↗PBOC, MPS and MSS issue dedicated procedures for freezing assets involving terrorist activities, operationalising the 2011 statutory mechanism.
FATF adopted a consolidated revised set of 40 Recommendations integrating AML, CFT and proliferation-financing safeguards.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗The NPC Standing Committee decision establishes designation/publication and immediate asset-freezing/reporting duties for financial institutions and specified non-financial institutions in relation to listed terrorist organisations and persons.
The joint 2007 measures operationalise customer identification and preservation of identity/transaction records across financial institutions.
FATF records China as a member since 2007.
Resolution 1737 imposed binding measures concerning Iran’s proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities, including an asset freeze on designated individuals and entities. Together with the DPRK regime, it forms a foundational UN counter-proliferation targeted-financial-sanctions architecture.
UN Members agree to accept and carry out Security Council decisions. This current Charter relationship is not proof of the jurisdiction’s domestic implementation, nor a claim about its membership status on the historical event date.
UN Charter · Article 25 ↗PBOC Order 2006 No. 2 consolidates large-value and suspicious reporting and identifies CAMLMAC as the recipient of RMB and foreign-currency reports.
The 2006 AML Law creates China’s comprehensive statutory AML framework, including national administration, preventive duties, reporting and AML investigation powers.
Following the DPRK nuclear test, Resolution 1718 imposed binding sanctions including an asset freeze on designated persons and entities connected to the nuclear programme. It became a central UN targeted-financial-sanctions pillar for counter-proliferation financing.
UN Members agree to accept and carry out Security Council decisions. This current Charter relationship is not proof of the jurisdiction’s domestic implementation, nor a claim about its membership status on the historical event date.
UN Charter · Article 25 ↗Criminal Law Amendment VI expands Article 191 predicate categories to include corruption/bribery, disruption of financial-management order and financial fraud.
China is one of six founding states of the Eurasian Group, adding an EAG FSRB relationship alongside APG membership.
FATF added a ninth Special Recommendation addressing cash couriers and cross-border movement of currency.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗Resolution 1540 requires all States to adopt and enforce laws and domestic controls to prevent non-State actors from acquiring or using weapons of mass destruction and related materials. It forms a binding global legal pillar of the proliferation-financing control environment later reflected in FATF CPF standards.
UN Members agree to accept and carry out Security Council decisions. This current Charter relationship is not proof of the jurisdiction’s domestic implementation, nor a claim about its membership status on the historical event date.
UN Charter · Article 25 ↗The UN General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption on 31 October 2003. UNCAC addresses prevention of money laundering, laundering of corruption proceeds, confiscation and a dedicated asset-recovery framework; the Convention entered into force globally on 14 December 2005.
Current UN depositary relationship to 2003 UN Convention against Corruption. This is not a claim that the jurisdiction was already a Party on the GLOBAL event date; the national accession/ratification date is a separate LOCAL/STATUS fact.
UN Treaty Collection ↗FATF comprehensively revised its AML/CFT Recommendations, strengthening preventive measures and extending coverage.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗PBOC’s 2003 rules impose binding AML controls on financial institutions and establish large-value/suspicious transaction reporting, including foreign-exchange reporting.
The Basel Committee issued Customer due diligence for banks, setting minimum supervisory expectations for customer acceptance, identification, ongoing monitoring and risk management. It became an influential global banking KYC/CDD benchmark and was later reflected in FATF standards.
A Basel supervisory publication does not become domestic law merely because it is GLOBAL. National adoption, supervisory use or incorporation must be evidenced by a LOCAL milestone or source.
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision ↗FATF expanded its standards to terrorist financing through eight Special Recommendations.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗Resolution 1373 requires all States to prevent and suppress terrorist financing, criminalise the provision or collection of funds for terrorist acts, freeze terrorist assets without delay and prohibit making funds or financial services available to terrorists and related entities.
UN Members agree to accept and carry out Security Council decisions. This current Charter relationship is not proof of the jurisdiction’s domestic implementation, nor a claim about its membership status on the historical event date.
UN Charter · Article 25 ↗Criminal Law Amendment III adds terrorist-financing-related criminal provisions and expands the terrorism-linked laundering architecture.
The Palermo Convention was adopted on 15 November 2000 and broadened the international money-laundering framework beyond drug proceeds through criminalisation and preventive measures tied to transnational organised crime. It entered into force globally on 29 September 2003.
Current UN depositary relationship to 2000 Palermo Convention. This is not a claim that the jurisdiction was already a Party on the GLOBAL event date; the national accession/ratification date is a separate LOCAL/STATUS fact.
UN Treaty Collection ↗The UN General Assembly adopted the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism on 9 December 1999, creating the treaty framework for criminalising terrorist financing and international cooperation. It entered into force globally on 10 April 2002.
Current UN depositary relationship to 1999 Terrorist Financing Convention. This is not a claim that the jurisdiction was already a Party on the GLOBAL event date; the national accession/ratification date is a separate LOCAL/STATUS fact.
UN Treaty Collection ↗Resolution 1267 imposed an assets freeze and other targeted sanctions in the Taliban context and created the Security Council committee that became the foundation of the UN 1267 sanctions architecture. It is a key global precursor to modern terrorist-financing targeted financial sanctions.
UN Members agree to accept and carry out Security Council decisions. This current Charter relationship is not proof of the jurisdiction’s domestic implementation, nor a claim about its membership status on the historical event date.
UN Charter · Article 25 ↗Article 191 provides the core criminal money-laundering offence, creating the criminal-law foundation that later AML administration built on.
China joins the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering as a founding member, creating a regional AML/CFT assessment and cooperation relationship.
FATF revised the Forty Recommendations to reflect evolving money-laundering methods and countermeasures.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗Representatives of 13 financial intelligence units met in Brussels on 9 June 1995 and founded what became the Egmont Group. The milestone created the operational global network for FIU-to-FIU cooperation and exchange of financial intelligence.
No Egmont member FIU is recorded in the current profile. The 1995 GLOBAL milestone is therefore context, not a membership claim.
Egmont Group · Member FIUs ↗The 28 December 1990 Drug Control Decision introduced criminal controls over illicit drug proceeds, including confiscation of illegal income and proceeds. It is a material precursor to the standalone money-laundering offence later codified in Criminal Law Article 191 in 1997.
FATF issued its original Forty Recommendations, establishing the first global AML standard framework.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗The G7 established FATF in 1989 to examine and develop measures to combat money laundering. FATF became the central global standard-setting body whose recommendations are implemented through national and regional AML/CFT frameworks.
Current relationship. Direct FATF membership and any listed regional assessment network participation are current profile relationships only. The GLOBAL milestone does not prove membership or domestic implementation on the event date; those remain LOCAL/STATUS evidence.
FATF Global Network ↗The Vienna Convention was adopted on 20 December 1988 and created the first treaty-level international obligation to criminalise laundering conduct linked to drug-trafficking proceeds, alongside confiscation and international-cooperation measures. It entered into force globally on 11 November 1990.
Current UN depositary relationship to 1988 Vienna Convention. This is not a claim that the jurisdiction was already a Party on the GLOBAL event date; the national accession/ratification date is a separate LOCAL/STATUS fact.
UN Treaty Collection ↗The Basel Committee published a Statement of Principles for banks aimed at reducing the risk that banking institutions would be used by criminals or as channels for money laundering. This helped establish the preventive and supervisory side of AML alongside the emerging criminal-law framework.
A Basel supervisory publication does not become domestic law merely because it is GLOBAL. National adoption, supervisory use or incorporation must be evidenced by a LOCAL milestone or source.
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision ↗