China has unveiled a three-year action plan to step up standards in a range of cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence chips, generative AI, quantum information and brain-computer interfaces, aiming to boost technological and economic development and increase its international influence.
The plan, issued by the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, was made public on Wednesday.
According to a statement from the Commission Secretariat, the action plan emphasizes that informatization standards, or the flow of information through the system, are an important part of the national standards system and serve as a key support for promoting high-quality development.
The plan hopes that by 2027, a set of high-quality informatization standards will be released and a “specialized, professional and international” talent team will be cultivated in the field of standardization.
Moreover, three years from now, the role of standards in guiding technological innovation and promoting economic and social development will be fully realized, and China's contribution and influence in international standards will be significantly increased.
The action plan outlines key tasks in four areas, including innovating the informatization standardization work mechanism and promoting standards development in eight key areas.
For example, in the area of critical information technology, it calls for focusing on the key area of integrated circuits, strengthening efforts to develop standards for advanced computing chips and new storage chips, and facilitating the development of application standards for AI, automotive, and consumer electronic chips.
In addition, a series of key cutting-edge technologies, such as generative AI, blockchain, cloud computing, quantum information, brain-computer interfaces, the next generation internet, and the metaverse, are also being prioritized for standardization efforts.
The plan calls for improving network infrastructure standards, promoting 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.
In addition, the plan states that China will deepen exchanges and cooperation in international standardization over the next three years and actively participate in the work of the International Organization for Standardization.
