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Chinese Standardization

Key Standardization Authorities

1) The State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR)/ Standardization Administration of China (SAC)

The State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) and Standardization Administration of China (SAC) are two departments that have authority duly authorized by the State Council to perform administrative functions and manage national standardization in a unified way.

SAC’s responsibilities are listed below:

  • Participate in the drafting, development and revision of national standardization laws and regulations; formulate and implement national standardization guidelines and policies; formulate national standardization management regulations and rules; organize the implementation of national standardization laws, regulations and rules; manage and direct science and technology work, publicity, education and trainings related to standardization.
  • The proposal, numbering and external notification of mandatary national standards. Review the proposals of mandatory national standards to be developed to confirm whether such standards meet the definition of mandatory national standards, and approve the proposals of standards meeting the specifications (please note that mandatory national standards are proposed and developed by relevant ministries and commissions).
  • Develop voluntary national standards.
  • Register sector standards.
  • Register local standards.
  • Participate in the activities of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and other international or regional organizations for standardization on behalf of China, organize the work of Chinese national committees in ISO and IEC; manage various domestic departments and regions participating in the activities of international or regional organizations for standardization; sign and execute international standardization cooperation agreements, review, approve, and organize the execution of international standardization cooperation and communication projects; participate in the review of international activities related to standardization.
  • Publicize, implement, and promote the application of national standards; supervise the implementation of national standards.

2) Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)’s administrative scope covers 28 industrial fields. MIIT’s responsibilities in these fields are listed below.

  • Organize the formulation and implementation of plans and policies concerning the high-tech information industry.
  • Propose new mandatory national standards.
  • Organize drafting, gather comments, and conduct technical review on mandatory national standards.
  • Develop sector standards.
  • Specify the communications standards (GSM CDMA TD-CDMA) for 5G licenses.
  • Specific the standards for network access of devices.
  • Guide the work of the leading organizations for digital/ICT standardization, such as China Communication Standards Association (CCSA) and China Elelctronics Stadnardization Institute (CESI).

3) Cyberspace Administration of China

Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) is in charge of the formulation of cybersecurity laws, regulations and policies, and guides the standardization works carried out by SAC/TC260 (Cybersecurity). CAC’s other responsibilities are listed below.

  • Formulate guidelines and policies on internet information dissemination, and approve and supervise network news and other related businesses.
  • Guide relevant departments to urge telecom operators, access service enterprises, domain name registration administration and service agencies to do a good job in domain name registration, internet address (IP address) allocation, website registration and filing, access and other basic management of the internet, and guide relevant internet departments to carry out work within their responsibilities.
  • Formulate, implement and supervise policies and regulations on cybersecurity.
  • Guide the standardization work of SAC/TC260.

4) Ministry of Transport

Ministry of Transport (MOT) is in charge of policies, regulations and standardization relevant to the transportation sector. This includes intelligent transport standardization work related to the digital and ICT fields. MoT’s responsibilities in the transport sector are listed below.

  • Organize and formulate policies on technology and informatization concerning highway and waterway industries, as well as supervise their implementation.
  • Organize the development of comprehensive transport standards and coordinate the standards of various transportation means.
  • Organize and coordinate research on major science and technology projects.
  • Lead standards, product quality, and metrics to evaluate transportation infrastructure.
  • Propose, organize, draft, seek opinions, and conduct technical reviews on mandatory national standards.
  • Develop sector standards for intelligent transport systems.

5) Ministry of Public Security

The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) is in charge of cybersecurity standardization in the public security field. MPS’ responsibilities in this field are listed below.

  • Formulate, publish and supervise the implementation of network security level protection laws and regulations.
  • Propose, organize, draft, seek opinions, and conduct technical reviews on mandatory national standards.
  • Develop sector standards for cybersecurity.

Chinese Standardization

Key Standardization Development Organizations

  • China Electronics Standardization Institute

The China Electronics Standardization Insititute (CESI) is an integrated organization for electronics standardization in China. The organization carries out standardization responsibilities that cover smart cities, IoT, AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing, big data, intelligent manufacturing, blockchain, industrial internet, intelligent sensing products, high definition audio and video, augmented and virtual reality, among others. CESI’s functions also cover testing, measurement, certification and information services in electronic information technology.

CESI acts as the secretariat of several national standardization working groups led and organized by the competent national standardization administration, such as working groups on IoT, intelligent manufacturing and AI. CESI holds 17 national technical committees and 14 working groups for standardization, corresponding to 55 competent TCs/SCs of IEC, ISO/IEC JTC1.

  • China Communications Standards Association

The China Communications Standards Association (CCSA) is a general standardization organization for information and communications. The organization carries out standardization functions covering the internet, mobile communications, 5G, IoT, quantum communications, industrial internet, cloud computing, big data, augmented and virtual reality, cybersecurity, among other areas. CCSA has 11 technical committees and five special working groups. CCSA also performs the functions of two national standardization technical committees: SAC/TC485 (communications) and SAC/TC543 (communications services), and develops national standards.

  • Research Institute of Highway of MOT

Research Institute of Highway (RIoH) is the leading standardization organization in intelligent transport, which holds SAC/TC268 (Intelligent Transport Systems) and serves as the secretariat of the C-ITS Industry Alliance.

  • The Instrumentation Technology and Economy Institute

The Instrumentation Technology and Economy Institute (ITEI) conducts general scientific research functions and tasks in industrial informatization, covering areas such as sensors, intelligent instruments, measurement, control and automation. Additionally, the institute carries out technical research and develops standards for instrumentation and automation standardization. ITEI is one of the main developers of industrial internet standards and serves as the secretariate of four national technical committees for standardization in the area.

  • China Automotive Technology and Research Centre

The China Automotive Technology and Research Centre Co. Ltd. (CATARC) is an integrated science and technology corporation that has significant influence in the automotive industry. CATARC serves as the secretariat of SAC/TC114 (Auto).

The China Association for Standardization (CAS) falls under the leadership of the State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) and is guided by the SAC.

  • Organizes academic seminars and arranges academy exchanges for both international and domestic experts.
  • Publishes notifications of national standards and related standardization information.

The China National Institue of Standardization (CNIS) researches standardization in various fields.

  • Standards Press of China

The Standards Press of China (SPC) publishes national standards, professional standards, as well as other scientific and technical books

The National Insitute of Metrology (NIM) is the highest state-level research center for metrology; the legal metrological technical center.

  • Establishes national primary standards and national standards of measurement.
  • Provides verification services and calibration services.