Abstract: Embodiments of this application provide a channel encoding method for use by a communication device. The communication device obtains a quantity K of information bits, and determines a load size of a channel for transmitting the K information bits. The load size of the channel is N bits, where N?K, N=2n, and n is a positive integer. The communication device performs a polar encoding process on the K information bits, to obtain a polar code sequence that includes N bits. The N-bit polar code sequence is transmitted using the channel, without rate matching. Because a quantity of coded bits obtained after the polar encoding is equal to a load size of a channel, no rate matching process is required. This reduces encoding overheads of a channel. Complexity and latency of channel encoding are greatly reduced, and performance loss associated with the rate matching operation is avoided.