PRC Standards System: standards Used in China
China’s standardization system operates across five levels, balancing government oversight and market-driven elements.
NATIONAL STANDARDS
Regulated under the Measures for the Administration of National Standards, national standards are often referred to as “GB standards”. National standards may be formulated for the technical requirements that need to be unified nationwide in the fields of agriculture, industry, service industry and social undertakings, including the following:
- General technical terms, symbols, classifications, codes (including codes), file formats, drawing methods and other general technical language requirements and interchange requirements;
- General technical requirements for resources, energy and environment;
- Technical requirements for general basic parts, basic raw materials, important products and systems;
- General testing and inspection methods;
- General technical requirements for social management, services, and production and circulation management;
- General technical requirements for survey, planning, design, construction and acceptance of engineering construction;
- Technical requirements that play a leading role in relevant industries;
- Other technical requirements that the country needs to standardize.
Mandatory national standards shall be formulated for technical requirements that protect personal health and the safety of life and property, national security, ecological and environmental security, and meet the basic needs of economic and social management.
The rest of the national standards are recommended.
As of April 2025, there are 47,378 national standards in the SAC’s database – the National Public Service Platform for Standards Information. Among them, 5,729 are mandatory, 65,339 are recommended, and 789 are technical guiding documents.
The prefix codes of national standards are as below:
| Code |
Content |
| GB |
Mandatory National Standards |
| GB/T |
Voluntary National Standards |
| GB/Z |
National Guiding Technical Documents |
Many Chinese national standards are national adoptions from ISO, IEC, ITU, or other international standards developers. According to the 2021 Outline of National Standardization Development, China has set a goal for the adoption rate of international standards as national standards in all sectors to reach 85% by the end of 2025.
The database of Chinese national GB standards provides information on which standards have been adopted from international or foreign standards.
ACCESS THE DATABASE OF NATIONAL STANDARDS (IN CHINESE ONLY)
INDUSTRY STANDARDS
Regulated under the Measures for the Administration of Industry Standards, industry standards are standards for technical requirements that do not have national standards but need to be unified within a certain industry nationwide.
They are usually set by ministries such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), etc.
All industry standards are recommended standards. The prefix codes of industry standards are as below:
| Code |
Content |
| AQ |
Work Safety |
| BB |
Packaging |
| CB |
Ships |
| CH |
Surveying and Mapping |
| CJ |
Urban and Town Development |
| CY |
Press and Publishing |
| DA |
Archives |
| DB |
Earthquake |
| DL |
Electricity |
| DY |
Film |
| DZ |
Geology and Mineral Resources |
| EJ |
Nuclear Industry |
| FZ |
Textile |
| GA |
Public Safety |
| GC |
National Material Reserves |
| GF |
National Defense Industry |
| GH |
Supply and Marketing Cooperation |
| GM |
National Cryptography |
| GY |
Radio, Television, and Online Audiovisual |
| HB |
Aviation |
| HG |
Chemical Industry |
| HJ |
Environmental Protection |
| HS |
Customs |
| HY |
Ocean |
| LB |
Tourism |
| JB |
Machinery |
| JC |
Building Materials |
| JG |
Construction Engineering |
| JR |
Finance |
| JS |
Government Affairs |
| JT |
Transportation |
| JY |
Education |
| KA |
Mine Safety |
| LB |
Tourism |
| LD |
Labor and Labor Safety |
| LS |
Grain |
| LY |
Forestry |
| MH |
Civil Aviation |
| MR |
Market Regulation |
| Code |
Content |
| MT |
Coal |
| MZ |
Civil Affairs |
| NB |
Energy |
| NY |
Agriculture |
| QB |
Light Industry |
| QC |
Automotive |
| QJ |
Aerospace |
| QX |
Meteorology |
| RB |
Certification and Accreditation |
| RF |
Civil Air Defense |
| SB |
Domestic Trade |
| SC |
Aquatic Products |
| SF |
Judiciary |
| SH |
Petrochemical Industry |
| SJ |
Electronics |
| SL |
Water Resources |
| SN |
Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine |
| SW |
Taxation |
| SY |
Oil and Natural Gas |
| TB |
Railways |
| TD |
Land Management |
| TY |
Sports |
| WB |
Material Management |
| WH |
Culture |
| WJ |
Ordnance and Civilian Products |
| WM |
Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation |
| WS |
Health |
| WW |
Cultural Heritage Protection |
| XB |
Rare Earth |
| XF |
Fire and Rescue |
| YB |
Ferrous Metallurgy |
| YC |
Tobacco |
| YD |
Telecommunications |
| YJ |
Disaster Prevention, Relief and Comprehensive Emergency Management |
| YS |
Non-ferrous Metals |
| YY |
Medicine and Pharmaceuticals |
| YZ |
Postal Services |
| ZY |
Traditional Chinese Medicine |
ACCESS THE DATABASE OF INDUSTRY STANDARDS (IN CHINESE ONLY)
LOCAL STANDARDS
Regulated under the Measures for the Administration of Local Standards, local standards are developed in order to meet the special technical requirements of local natural conditions, customs, and habits in the fields of agriculture, industry, services, social affairs, and other fields.
All local standards are recommended standards, with the prefix code of “DB” plus the first two (provincial level) or four (municipal level) digits of the local administration division code. For example, Beijing’s local standards are marked as “DB11/T”, and Shanghai’s are “DB31/T”.
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ASSOCIATION STANDARDS
Regulated under the Regulations on the Administration of Association Standards , association standards are formulated by social groups (“associations”) to meet market and innovation needs and coordinate relevant market players.
Introduced in 2015, this category of standards is the newest addition to China’s standardization system. It was created as part of the country’s standardization reform to promote a more market-driven, voluntary approach, establishing a two-tiered model that includes processes led by the government and by the market.
All association standards are voluntary standards, with the prefix code of “T”.
The technical requirements of association standards shall not be lower than those of mandatory standards. Social groups are encouraged to formulate association standards with higher technical requirements than recommended standards, and reflect internationally advanced levels.
If the implementation of an association standard is effective and meets the requirements for the formulation of national standards, industry standards or local standards, the associate standard developer may apply to convert it into a national standard, industry standard, or local standard.
ACCESS THE DATABASE OF ASSOCIATION STANDARDS (IN CHINESE ONLY)
ENTERPRISE STANDARDS
Regulated under the Measures to Promote Enterprise Standardization, enterprise standards are standards established by enterprises for technical, management, and work requirements that need to be coordinated and unified within the enterprise.
If there are no relevant standards for the products or services provided, enterprises shall develop their own enterprise standards.
All enterprise standards are voluntary standards, with the prefix code of “Q”.
Companies doing business in China must comply with mandatory national standards, and are encouraged to implement recommended standards. Since 2017, China has abolished the requirement for enterprises to
file their standards with the government. Instead, a self-declaration and disclosure system has been introduced, encouraging enterprises to publicly disclose the names and identification numbers of the mandatory or recommended standards they follow.
If enterprises adopt their own internal standards, they must also disclose the functional and performance indicators of their products.
ACCESS THE DATABASE OF ENTERPRISE STANDARDS (IN CHINESE ONLY)
PRC Standards System: Introduction
