China's Cyberspace Administration has published a plan to expand IPv6 adoption nationwide through 2030, alongside continued development of "IPv6+", a set of non-standard enhancements that lets senders embed metadata about content and routing into data packets. Analysts warn this metadata capability could be exploited for censorship and surveillance, since it would make it easier to identify and block dissidents' traffic, while also giving network operators a way to charge more for carrying content from services like Netflix and YouTube. The move matters because China's telecom equipment firms have already implemented IPv6+ and exported it to other countries, raising concerns it could spread surveillance-friendly networking standards globally.

The plan targets 900 million IPv6 users and 38% of network traffic on the protocol by 2027, rising to 950 million users and 42% of traffic by 2030, with all connected devices expected to be IPv6-enabled by 2027; new networks will also default to IPv6 addresses, pushing towards a single-stack IPv6 internet. This follows Beijing's earlier failed attempt to get the International Telecommunications Union to endorse "New IP", a separate protocol also criticised for built-in surveillance features, which was blocked in favour of existing IETF-maintained standards. The new document still commits China to participating in global IPv6 standards work, but also calls for development of distinct "national IPv6 standards" in key areas.