Page 7 - THE SOUTH CHINA BUSINESS JOURNAL
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lowing the “Made in China 2025” strategic plan, will enable different companies to work seamlessly,
China officially launched the "China Standards improving efficiency throughout the whole
2035” strategy in 2018, aiming to create a blueprint supply chain and leaving more resources to drive
for the Chinese government and leading tech innovation. This is critical for the Chinese companies
companies to set global standards for emerging involved in setting norms and will obtain them
technologies, such as 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), higher comparative advantages.
and artificial intelligence (AI).
Overall, China views standardization as a way to
Promulgated in 2021, the NSD is the first official strengthen its research and development (R&D)
document in this area and offers a clear vision ecosystem by elevating whole-sector capacities,
for Chinese companies to improve their technical particularly in critical and emerging industries like
capabilities and promote standardization in AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology. The
the coming decade. The Action Plan then lays Action Plan offers concrete measures that links the
out the concrete steps in respective sectors for process of developing standards and technological
implementation before the end of 2023. innovation to promote industry optimization and
upgrades. In the past, China's sector standard codes
What is included in China's were fragmented. There was also no clear boundary
between national standards and sector standards,
Action Plan for developing as both were options for standardizing a technology,
causing confusion among overseas stakeholders.
national standards? Streamlining and integrating these codes reduce the
complexity of the standards system and improve
The Action Plan encompasses a total of 33 articles, management efficiency.
covering a full range of diverse sectors, including
manufacturing, information technology, service In recent years, China is striving to play an
industry, carbon standardization and upgrading, increasing role in the formulation of international
ecosystem protection, and rural revitalization. standards to shape the future direction of tech
These articles can be categorized into three main development. The Action Plan, in articles 17 to
brackets: The first bracket, consisting of articles 1 21, also stresses greater involvement for China in
to 21, advocates for the effective standardization international standard-setting bodies. Being able to
of high-quality economic and social development determine the standards allows a country to gain
services; the second, from articles 22 to 30, focuses more control over system design and rulemaking
on the development of standards through efforts – it can also grant them a premium position in
coordinated by the government; the third bracket, the global market as they possess first-mover
consisting of articles 31 to 33, discusses incentive advantages in key sectors.
policy to enhance guidance and supervision of the
standardization process. • Technical innovation
• Immediate goals Innovation is key to lead the formulation of
industry standards.
The China Standards 2035 strategy empowers
Chinese enterprises to participate in In recent years, China has increased its number of
standardization, with the incentive being that ISO and IEC proposals, reaching an annual growth
they can benefit from the economic gains that rate of 20 percent, which demonstrates China's
come with licenses and royalties. Further, greater growing involvement in the standard-setting arena.
compatibility following technical standardization ISO refers to the International Organization for
Standardization and IEC refers to the International
Electrotechnical Commission, both of which are
SOUTH CHINA BUSINESS JOURNAL 4
China officially launched the "China Standards improving efficiency throughout the whole
2035” strategy in 2018, aiming to create a blueprint supply chain and leaving more resources to drive
for the Chinese government and leading tech innovation. This is critical for the Chinese companies
companies to set global standards for emerging involved in setting norms and will obtain them
technologies, such as 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), higher comparative advantages.
and artificial intelligence (AI).
Overall, China views standardization as a way to
Promulgated in 2021, the NSD is the first official strengthen its research and development (R&D)
document in this area and offers a clear vision ecosystem by elevating whole-sector capacities,
for Chinese companies to improve their technical particularly in critical and emerging industries like
capabilities and promote standardization in AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology. The
the coming decade. The Action Plan then lays Action Plan offers concrete measures that links the
out the concrete steps in respective sectors for process of developing standards and technological
implementation before the end of 2023. innovation to promote industry optimization and
upgrades. In the past, China's sector standard codes
What is included in China's were fragmented. There was also no clear boundary
between national standards and sector standards,
Action Plan for developing as both were options for standardizing a technology,
causing confusion among overseas stakeholders.
national standards? Streamlining and integrating these codes reduce the
complexity of the standards system and improve
The Action Plan encompasses a total of 33 articles, management efficiency.
covering a full range of diverse sectors, including
manufacturing, information technology, service In recent years, China is striving to play an
industry, carbon standardization and upgrading, increasing role in the formulation of international
ecosystem protection, and rural revitalization. standards to shape the future direction of tech
These articles can be categorized into three main development. The Action Plan, in articles 17 to
brackets: The first bracket, consisting of articles 1 21, also stresses greater involvement for China in
to 21, advocates for the effective standardization international standard-setting bodies. Being able to
of high-quality economic and social development determine the standards allows a country to gain
services; the second, from articles 22 to 30, focuses more control over system design and rulemaking
on the development of standards through efforts – it can also grant them a premium position in
coordinated by the government; the third bracket, the global market as they possess first-mover
consisting of articles 31 to 33, discusses incentive advantages in key sectors.
policy to enhance guidance and supervision of the
standardization process. • Technical innovation
• Immediate goals Innovation is key to lead the formulation of
industry standards.
The China Standards 2035 strategy empowers
Chinese enterprises to participate in In recent years, China has increased its number of
standardization, with the incentive being that ISO and IEC proposals, reaching an annual growth
they can benefit from the economic gains that rate of 20 percent, which demonstrates China's
come with licenses and royalties. Further, greater growing involvement in the standard-setting arena.
compatibility following technical standardization ISO refers to the International Organization for
Standardization and IEC refers to the International
Electrotechnical Commission, both of which are
SOUTH CHINA BUSINESS JOURNAL 4
