Action plan to improve technology standards

China has released a three-year action plan to strengthen standards in various cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence chips, generative AI, quantum information, and brain-computer interfaces, aiming to better drive technological and economic development and enhance international influence.

The plan, issued by the Office of Central Cyberspace Affair Commission, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, was released to the public on Wednesday.

According to a news release from the office of the commission, the action plan has emphasized that standards for informatization — or the flow of information through a system — are an important part of the national standard system and serve as a crucial support for driving high-quality development.

By 2027, the plan expects the release of a batch of high-quality informatization standards and the cultivation of a "specialized, professional and internationalized" team of talent in the field of standardization.

Additionally, three years later, the role of standards in guiding technological innovation and driving economic and social development should be fully realized, leading to a significant increase in China's contribution and influence in international standards.

The action plan outlines major tasks in four areas, including innovating the work mechanism for informatization standardization and promoting the formulation of standards in eight key fields.

For instance, in the field of critical information technology, it calls for focusing on key areas of integrated circuits, intensifying efforts to develop standards for advanced computing chips and new storage chips, and promoting the formulation of application standards for AI, automotive and consumer electronic chips.

Furthermore, a series of major cutting-edge technologies such as generative AI, blockchain, cloud computing, quantum information, brain-computer interfaces, next-generation internet and metaverse are also prioritized for standardization efforts.

The plan calls for improving standards for network infrastructure and advancing the development of computing power infrastructure standards, strengthening the construction of basic standards for data resources, and innovating standards for the use of public data resources.

Additionally, according to the plan, over the next three years, China will deepen international standardization exchanges and cooperation, and be actively involved in the work of international standardization organizations.