China's first domestically produced 103-Octane racing fuel put into use

China's first domestically produced 103-octane racing fuel was officially put to use at the opening ceremony of the 2026 China Taklimakan International Rally on Saturday.

As the starting command was given on Saturday morning, 152 racing cars and nearly 300 competitors from around the world embarked on a 7,500-kilometer extreme journey across the desert. The rally, exclusively sponsored by Sinopec's X-Power, designated the newly developed 103-octane racing fuel as its official fuel.

The 103-octane racing fuel, developed by Sinopec, fills a domestic gap in high-grade racing gasoline. The research octane number (RON) exceeds 103, five units higher than commercially available 98-octane fuel, effectively reducing the risk of engine knock under high compression and heavy load conditions.

"Designed for the extreme conditions of racing - high speed, heavy load and prolonged continuous operation - the fuel has a conductivity of no less than 500 pS/m, which reduces the risk of static electricity buildup during high-flow refueling. Its olefin content is controlled at about 1 percent, roughly 80 percent lower than conventional 98-octane gasoline, improving combustion efficiency and power response. It contains no lead or manganese anti-knock additives and has extremely low sulfur content, balancing high performance with environmental protection," said Li Zhongdan, deputy director of the New Materials Research Institute of Sinopec Zhenhai Refining and Chemical Co., Ltd.

For years, China's racing fuel market relied heavily on imported products, with some teams blending their own fuel, leading to long procurement cycles, high costs and unstable supply chains. "The entry of domestically produced high-octane racing fuel into the Taklimakan Rally signals that China's high-performance racing fuel has entered a new phase of systematic research and development, standardized production and branded supply. This not only fills a gap in domestic top-tier racing fuel but also opens a new path for the standardization and professional supply of high-end racing fuel in China, providing solid energy support for the high-quality development of China's motor sports industry," said Liu Zhihua, vice president of Sinopec Sales.

China's first domestically produced 103-Octane racing fuel put into use

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday presided over a State Council executive meeting that studied work on building a unified national market and reviewed and approved a plan for the development of a modern emergency response system during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

Noting that building a unified national market is essential to advancing high-quality development, the meeting called for deepening institutional frameworks in areas such as property rights protection, market access, fair competition, social credit and market exit mechanisms.

The meeting also urged efforts to advance high-standard connectivity of market infrastructure to facilitate smooth economic circulation and effectively reduce logistics costs across society.

Emergency management is critical to protecting people's lives and property, the meeting said. It called for accelerating the development of a modern emergency response system, deepening reform and innovation in emergency management, and improving coordinated response mechanisms.

Efforts should be made to strengthen risk prevention at the source, enhance monitoring, forecasting and early warning, and accelerate a shift in governance toward proactive prevention, according to the meeting.

A draft revision of the Law on the People's Bank of China was also discussed and approved in principle at the meeting, which decided to submit the draft to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation.

Chinese premier chairs State Council executive meeting