The 2001 White Paper has been published. What has the Chinese government done since then in the standards arena?
Since the publication of the 2001 White Paper, the Chinese government has made great progress in the standards arena. Standards organizations have been combined in a more rational structure. The State General Administration of Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) has established numerous regulations governing compulsory product certification to "unify product catalogues, to rationalize standards, technical regulations, conformity assessment procedures, labeling, and fee rates".
Under the new system, the original China Commodity Inspection Bureau (CCIB) and China Commission for Conformity Certification for Electric Equipment (CCEE) marks will be replaced by a unified CCC (China Compulsory Certification) mark beginning on May 1, 2002. This is a significant step forward. Simultaneously there are growing calls for increased transparency, acceptance of public comment on draft regulations, and impartial implementation. For example, the recently created State Commission for the Administration of Standardization (SCAS) has indicated its intent to issue a new policy regarding foreign participation in the standard-setting process by the first half of 2002.
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