Beijing, March 25 / April 21, 2025 – In a move to further align China’s standardization system with global norms and reinforce its commitment to high-level institutional opening-up, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) released the revised version of the Administrative Measures for Adopting International Standards (hereinafter “the Measures”) on March 25, 2025. The Measures will officially take effect on June 1, 2025.
To promote understanding and implementation of the Measures, SAMR held a press conference on April 21, 2025, unveiling key changes and strategic significance. Senior officials from various departments, including standards innovation, technical standards, and policies and regulations, offered in-depth explanations and engaged with the media.
Reconfirmed Definition of International Standards
A central feature of the revised Measures is the reconfirmation of ISO (International Organization for Standardization), IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), and ITU (International Telecommunication Union) as the only officially recognized international standardization organizations for the purpose of adoption into Chinese national standards. This clarification standardizes past practices and reflects recent updates in the global copyright and membership policies of these organizations.
The Measures define the “adoption of international standards” as the process of identically or modify-transforming ISO/IEC/ITU standards into Chinese national standards. Notably, under the revised Measures, only national standards—not sectoral, local, or enterprise standards—are permitted to adopt international standards. The 2001 version allowed broader forms of adoption, but evolving international rules now mandate stricter boundaries.
Five Key Areas of Revision
The revised Measures concentrate on five major areas:
Clarifying the Scope of Standards and Adopting Entities
The Measures formally recognize ISO, IEC, and ITU standards as the applicable international standards. They specify that adoption may involve either identical translation or modified incorporation into national standards, depending on China’s domestic conditions.Establishing a Full-Process Tracking Mechanism
Organizations representing China in international technical committees must monitor the progress of relevant international standards and notify national stakeholders within 30 days of any milestone in the development process. This aims to ensure real-time alignment and timely updates.Setting Timelines for Standard Adoption
The Measures stipulate that from project approval to submission of the approval draft, the adoption process should generally be completed within 12 months. Simultaneous development with ongoing international standardization projects is encouraged to shorten cycles and enhance compatibility.Strengthening Copyright and IP Compliance
Adoption of standards must respect the copyright rules of ISO, IEC, and ITU throughout the entire process—from evaluation to final publication. This is in response to increasingly strict copyright enforcement by international standards bodies and ensures that China meets its international obligations.Enhancing Oversight and Implementation Evaluation
SAMR will oversee the implementation of adopted standards, especially in key sectors. Ministries and other relevant government agencies must evaluate the effectiveness of adopted standards in their respective domains and submit feedback and revision suggestions to international standardization organizations where applicable.
Strategic Goals and Global Implications
Speaking at the April 21 press conference, Director-General Xiao Han of the Department of Standards Innovation emphasized that the Measures are part of a broader strategy to promote “institutional opening-up” and align China’s technical infrastructure with international trade and regulatory systems. He noted that the WTO’s Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) requires member states to use international standards wherever appropriate in technical regulations—a principle that China is reaffirming through these Measures.
According to Wang Huowang, Deputy Director-General of SAMR’s Department of Policies and Regulations, the revision was prompted by multiple policy and operational drivers. These include China’s 20th Party Congress mandate to expand rule-based openness, the National Standardization Development Outline target of achieving over 85% conversion of international standards by 2025, and the increased compliance demands from ISO and IEC regarding intellectual property.
Detailed Implementation Provisions
The Measures offer practical guidance on how adoption of international standards should proceed. SAMR outlined the following procedures:
Preliminary Research:
Adopting bodies must conduct applicability analyses and verify the accuracy and relevance of the international standard’s content before initiating national standard formulation.Evaluation Phase:
Standards under consideration must undergo strict review against both Chinese regulatory needs and international IP policies. This includes adherence to technical editorial requirements such as those in GB/T 1.2.Faster Timelines:
Projects adopting mature international standards should proceed swiftly, with a goal of completing all phases—initiation, drafting, evaluation, and submission—within 12 months. Simultaneous drafting with ISO or IECprojects is encouraged.Oversight and Feedback:
Government departments and sectoral authorities must evaluate the effectiveness of adopted standards, particularly in areas with high economic or technological impact. Identified issues must be reported to international counterparts.
Encouraging Broad Participation and Benefits for Enterprises
At the press conference, SAMR officials stressed that the Measures encourage diverse stakeholder participation in both the development and implementation phases. This includes producers, users, consumer groups, and public interest organizations. The government promises to provide necessary training, policy incentives, and financial support to facilitate this engagement.
Xiao Han elaborated on the practical benefits for businesses:
Improved Global Market Access:
Many international trade contracts reference international standards for quality assurance. Adopting these standards as national ones can help Chinese products meet international requirements more easily, reducing technical barriers to trade.Cost-Effective Innovation:
For many domestic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), directly adopting international standards is more efficient than developing new ones from scratch. This strategy also helps accelerate technological catch-up with global leaders.
Importantly, officials reassured the public and enterprises that the new rules will not increase regulatory burdens but rather enable smoother alignment with global practices, which is essential for international competitiveness.
Legal Position and Relationship with Other Measures
Addressing a question on legal hierarchy, Wang Yuhuan, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Technical Standards, clarified that the revised Measures are a specialized regulation under the broader framework of China’s Standardization Law and operate alongside the Administrative Measures for National Standards (general law) and the Administrative Measures for Compulsory National Standards (special law for mandatory standards).
The revised Measures fill a specific regulatory gap by providing operational guidance for integrating international standards into the national standardization framework while ensuring compatibility with general standard-setting rules and legal requirements.
Tightened Definitions and Stricter Scope
Li Zhiping, Deputy Director of the China National Institute of Standardization (CNIS), noted that the new Measures significantly narrow the definition of "international standards." Only those published by ISO, IEC, or ITU are now eligible for formal adoption into Chinese national standards. Unlike the 2001 version, the new Measures exclude sectoral, local, and enterprise standards from participating in the international adoption process.
This change aligns with the updated policies of ISO and IEC, which now mandate that only national standards—not local or sectoral ones—can adopt their content. For standards from other foreign organizations, the Measures impose strict requirements for compliance with both Chinese law and the IP rules of the source organization.
Commitment to Reform and Institutional Opening
SAMR closed the press conference by reiterating its commitment to advancing reform and standardization-driven openness. The updated International Standards Tracking and Transformation Platform will continue to be enhanced to provide up-to-date resources for stakeholders. By raising the transparency and efficiency of adopting international standards, China aims to support the creation of a high-level open economic system.
The revised Measures signal China’s deeper engagement with the international standardization community and its commitment to harmonizing domestic regulations with global norms. As the June 1 effective date approaches, Chinese stakeholders are encouraged to study the new provisions, strengthen internal compliance systems, and actively participate in the national standard adoption process.
