EDITOR'S PAGE

Standards: China Goes Global

Imagine not having to test to national standards, especially in a traditionally protectionist country like China. No more extra costs, no more arbitrary rules, no more duplicated testing. It would be so much easier to get your product into a given market. You may not have to imagine much longer.

Long reluctant to accept outside ideologies, China is now aggressively promoting international economic collaboration and trade. International standards, of course, are essential to this effort. China has currently adopted just under half of IEC's standards. It plans to adopt all remaining applicable standards by 2005. Such milestones are at the heart of facilitating global trade. The newest member of WTO now recognizes that it must make such fundamental changes to truly open its doors.

Both Europe and the United States have often complained that China's arbitrary and nonscientific technical standards limit market access. International guidelines certainly help eliminate the costs and headaches that come with testing to individual country requirements. "Standards and tests are key to the development of the global market," said IEC in announcing this year's slogan for World Standards Day. With holdout countries like China getting on board, it gives teeth to IEC's slogan, "One standard, one test--accepted everywhere."

The one-standard approach is intended to make products and services acceptable in all countries. Having one internationally accepted standard fosters the development of a global market, says IEC.

China's president, Jiang Zemin, echoes this view. International standardization, he says, is necessary for the global economy, trade, industry, and technology. At the IEC meeting held recently in Beijing, Jiang acknowledged that standards play an active part in breaking down technical barriers to trade. Jiang says he expects Chinese companies to become more active in IEC work, both in preparing international standards and in assessing product conformity.

IEC says the Chinese media were quick to pick up on Jiang's interest in its general meeting. IEC made two appearances on Chinese national television, and the meeting was covered in the front-page stories of major dailies. Jiang and IEC representatives told Chinese journalists that the role of IEC standards is critical to helping the Chinese economy integrate more fully into the global trading system. IEC says the unprecedented media coverage reflects China's determination to participate fully in the global economy by focusing on relevant initiatives.

Sherrie Conroy, Editor
sherrie.conroy@cancom.com