Standards, Stakeholders, and Innovation China’s Evolving Role in the Global Knowledge Economy

Scott Kennedy, University of Indiana, and Richard P. Suttmeier, University of Oregon

6/07/2012
(Original Publish Date: 9/1/2008)

Since 2003, when China announced its mandatory WAPI standard as an alternative to the widely used Wi-Fi wireless communications standard, international interest in standardization in China has expanded rapidly. The growing size and influence of China’s economy, and China’s steadily improving technological capabilities, make analysis of Chinese standardization an ongoing challenge. This is especially true in light of recent trends. The first is China’s growing involvement with international standards organizations—formal standards development organizations (SDO) and various standards consortia that have become key forums for information and communications technology (ICT) standardization—and the increasingly differentiated and expanding institutional arrangements for standardization in China itself. China’s participation in international standards organizations has grown rapidly and indicates a commitment to a Chinese presence in governance mechanisms. China’s learning curve regarding the operation of international standards organizations is showing itself to be remarkably steep.