Policy Monitoring: SAC issued 2020 Key Areas for Standardisation Work in China

On 10 March 2020, the Standardisation Administration of China (SAC) issued a plan outlining the key areas for standardisation work in 2020.

The document emphasises the strategic positioning of standardisation – from top-level design to implementational work. Overarching aims are to boost China’s product quality and to facilitate long-term sustainable development. The key areas of work include drafting a strategic national standardisation outline, deepening the standardisation reform, and streamlining the administration of norms and standards.

To enhance internationalisation of standards, the plan further calls for increased engagement in standardisation processes on an international level, especially with regards to IEC/ISO, cooperation with the European Union, and bilateral cooperation with Germany. Formats for cooperation include deepening information exchange and collaboration based on mutual interests.

In terms of association standards and enterprise standards, the document encourages more and better development. Association standards, including the application and demonstration, should focus on new technologies, new industries and new models. Social groups are welcomed to participate in international standardisation activities. For enterprise standards, the main focal point is to improve the quality and competitiveness.

The plan also references standardisation for prevention and control for coronavirus disease (COVID-19). It asserts the need to establish a relevant standard system for coronavirus prevention and control. This includes developing relevant prevention and control methods and quality control standards and revising standards for related areas such as emergency relief, protective supplies, social prevention, and rehabilitation management. Social groups and associations are encouraged to formulate standards for epidemic prevention and control systems allowing enterprises to return to work.

The official document in Chinese can be found here. The Global Project Quality Infrastructure has translated the paper in English for reference.