China deepens standards cooperation

Altogether 146 foreign language versions of national standards were released earlier this week during the 2025 Qingdao Forum on International Standardization, marking a further step in the country's efforts to deepen global standardization cooperation and international trade. The event was held in Qingdao, Shandong province.

Internationally, standards serve as critical technical barometers for science, technology, business cooperation and cross-border commerce. The 146 national standards from China this time were translated into 11 languages including English, Russian, French, German and Japanese, and cover key sectors such as grain, agricultural machinery, firefighting, emergency response and robotics.

Sergio Mujica, secretary-general of the International Organization for Standardization, said: "China is the top country in terms of participation in ISO technical committees. About 99 percent of ISO technical committees include Chinese experts, and China provides leadership in around 10 percent of them."

China's rising engagement in international standardization has drawn global attention and approximately 5,000 Chinese experts are currently involved in ISO activities, he added.

To date, China has published 2,484 foreign language editions of national standards, spanning over 20 sectors in the national economy, from agriculture and metallurgy to aerospace, IT, logistics, healthcare and environmental protection.

Jo Cops, president of the International Electrotechnical Commission, also highlighted China's role and contribution, saying: "China is making excellent contributions both in governance and technical activities of IEC. China is sending lots of experts to participate in the technical committees and that is very beneficial."

"It not only brings the knowledge and the experience of the Chinese experts toward the rest of the organization but also a two-way exchange that benefits the entire ecosystem," he said.

They made the comments during the 2025 Qingdao Forum on International Standardization, one of China's highest-profile international standardization events that promotes dialogue, technical exchange, and institutional openness.

This year's agenda included artificial intelligence, low-altitude economy, and green energy transition — all among sectors seen as key to fostering China's new quality productive forces and building a modern industrial system.

Notably, Chinese companies are increasingly aligning industrial growth with global standards development. Zhang He, chief information officer of Hisense Group, said the company has led or participated in 70 international standards, especially in the display industry. Hisense experts have received an IEC award three times and helped drive the development of laser display standards.