PRC Standards System: Key Organizations
The standards system in China is administered at the top by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and headed primarily by the Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China (SAC). In addition, other government and private sector organizations provide input and participate in the standards process.
This section provides information on these key organizations:
State Council
The PRC Cabinet, otherwise known as the State Council, is the highest level of government of China. The State Council is responsible for overseeing the work of Chinese ministries, bureaus, commissions, and agencies.
VISIT THE STATE COUNCIL WEBSITE
State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR)
Directly under the supervision of the State Council, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) is in charge of regulating areas such as market competition, monopolies, intellectual property, and drug safety. The Administration was created in the 2018 Chinese government restructuring.
SAMR consolidates in one ministry the market regulation functions previously shared by three separate ministries, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), and the State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC).
The Standardization Administration of China (SAC) and the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA) and are also rolled into SAMR as respective departments (see below), though they maintain their names externally.
ACCORDING TO CURRENT SITE’S EXAMPLE, SAMR HAS 31 INTERNAL DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING:
- General Office
- Department of Planning and Finance
- Department of Policies and Regulations
- Law Enforcement and Inspection Bureau
- Registration and Licensing Bureau (Office for Party Building Work of Small and Micro Enterprises, Individual Businesses, and Specialized Markets)
- Department of Credit Supervision and Administration
- Department of Competition Policy Coordination
- Anti-Monopoly Law Enforcement Department I
- Anti-Monopoly Law Enforcement Department II
- Price Supervision, Inspection and Anti-Unfair Competition Bureau (Office for Regulation of Direct Selling and Crackdown on Pyramid Schemes)
- Department of Online Transaction Supervision and Administration
- Department of Advertising Supervision and Administration
- Quality Development Bureau
- Department of Product Quality and Safety Supervision and Administration
- epartment of Food Safety Coordination
- Department of Food Production and Business Safety Supervision and Administration
- Department of Catering Food Safety Supervision and Administration
- Department of Special Food Safety Supervision and Administration
- Department of Food Safety Sampling Inspection and Monitoring
- Special Equipment Safety Supervision Bureau
- Department of Metrology
- Department of Standards Technical Management (part of SAC)
- Department of Standards Innovation Management (part of SAC)
- Department of Certification Supervision and Administration (part of CNCA)
- Department of Accreditation, Inspection and Testing Supervision and Administration (part of CNCA)
- Department of News and Publicity
- Department of Science and Information Technology
- Department of Human Resources
- Department of International Cooperation (Office for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Affairs)
- Party Committee
- Office for Retired Cadres
Source: https://www.samr.gov.cn/jg/#zjzz
VISIT SAMR WEBSITE (IN CHINESE ONLY)
Standardization Administration of China (SAC)
Administered by SAMR, the Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China (SAC) was established in 2001 by the State Council. SAC is the Chinese national standards body (NSB) and oversees several standards-related activities, including:
- Deliver national standards plans, approve and publish national standards, deliberate and release important documents such as standardization policies, administrative rules, programs and announcements;
- Notify mandatory national standards to the public;
- Coordinate, guide and supervise standards work concerning industry, local areas, organizations and enterprises;
- Represent China in ISO, IEC and other international or regional standardization organizations;
- Sign and execute international standards cooperation agreements;
- Undertake the daily work of the standardization coordination mechanism under the State Council.
SAC is also the official enquiry point for the World Trade Organization’s Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement. As the Chinese WTO/TBT Enquiry Point, SAC collects all of the TBT Notifications from other member countries from the WTO website, and also forwards Chinese comments to the WTO Secretariat.
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VISIT SAC WEBSITE
VIEW A LIST OF CHINESE NATIONAL TECHNICAL COMMITTEES (IN CHINESE ONLY)
CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION ADMINISTRATION (CNCA)
The Certification and Accreditation Administration of People’s Republic of China (CNCA) is authorized by the State Council and charged with administering the conformity assessment system under the supervision of SAMR. CNCA coordinates certification and accreditation activities in China and participates in international conformity assessment activities.
CNCA's main functions are summarized below:
- Support SAMR in the administration and implementation of the China Compulsory Certification (CCC) system and voluntary certification schemes;
- Designate certification bodies for scope-specific conformity assessment work for the CCC system;
- Drafts national laws and regulations concerning certification and accreditation;
- Participate in international conformity assessment activities representing China.
VISIT CNCA WEBSITE (IN CHINESE ONLY)
CHINA NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDIZATION (CNIS)
The China National Institute of Standardization (also known as the Institute of Standardization of the State Science and Technology Commission when set up in 1963) is directly subordinate to SAMR.
As a national social service institution dedicated to standardization researches, it mainly addresses the global, strategic and comprehensive standardization issues in national economy and social development of China.
Currently, CNIS has over 500 employees, including research fellows and doctor degree-holders and its research mainly involve standardization development strategy, basic theories, principles and approaches, and standards systems.
Specifically, its work covers standardization research on energy conservation and emission reduction, quality management, international trade facilitation, vision health and safety protection, modern services, public safety, public management,
information classification and coding, ergonomics, and food sensory analysis; and the preparation and revision of related standards.
CNIS also facilitates and operates the secretariats of National Standardization Technical Committees and sub-committees (and mirror committees to international technical committees); conducts appraisal of energy-efficiency
labeling and customer satisfaction; provides technical support for geographical indication products; delivers standards resources and social services; and operates the national standards sharing service platform.
At the same time, CNIS supports the administrative functions of SAMR and SAC, including recalls of defective products, technical reviews of national standards, and the industrial products and foodstuff manufacture license management.
VISIT CNIS WEBSITE
CHINA ASSOCIATION OF STANDARDIZATION (CAS)
The China Association for Standardization (CAS) is a national organization established in 1978. The organization is tasked with the development, promotion, and implementation of standards across various industries.
CAS also operates under the guidance of SAMR and works in close collaboration with SAC. CAS is a member of the China Association for Science & Technology (CAST).
Today, CAS’ membership includes over 30,000 individual members and 400 institutional members, reaching 30 provinces throughout China. CAS’ main activities include:
- Organizing academic seminars and exchanges for international and domestic experts;
- Conducting research on policies, laws, regulations and concerned technical issues related to standardization;
- Conducting certification services;
- Disseminating knowledge of standardization, and conducting training for standardization officials;
- Publishing notifications of national standards and concerned standardization information;
- Promoting cooperation and exchanges with overseas standardization organizations, developing relations with standardization bodies, experts and scholars in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions, actively organizing people to join the domestic, regional and international activities on standardization;
- Protecting the rights and interests of standards professionals and conducting various service activities.
VISIT CAS WEBSITE
Introduction to PRC standards System
