Standardization Law Passed Along to NPC

On Feb. 22nd, State Council passed the China Standardization Law (Draft Revisions) to NPC for its review and approval. The current Standardization Law, first drafted in 1988, has never been revised since it went into effect in April 1989. The need for revisions became more and more pressing, and drafting began as early as 2009. The March 2016 draft of the Standardization Law represented an important step for China. The Draft established a legal framework for many of the important reforms progressing under the guidance of the State Council. It is particularly pleasing to see the inclusion of social organization standards and dispute resolution provisions. Other major revisions in the 2016 version include expanding scope of standards to include services, centralizing mandatory standards and applying them to limited industries, stating industry and local standards should only be recommended, and optimizing standards guidelines and process.