On 10 July 2023, Mr. Luis Jorge Romero, Director General of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), had an offline meeting with officials from Standardization Administration of China (SAC) under State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). SAC, authorized by China’s State Council, is responsible for the unified management, supervision and overall coordination of standardization work in China; it also represents China within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and other international and regional standardization organizations.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Xiao Han, Director-General of SAMR’s Standards Innovative Management Department; Mr. Tao Liang, Deputy General of Application Division of SAMR’s Standards Innovative Management Department; Mr. Sun Xiaohui, Official of Information Division of SAMR’s Standards Technical Management Department; as well as other officials from the International Cooperation Division of SAMR’s Standards Innovative Management Department. The European side was represented by the SESEC team, including Dr. Betty Xu, Director of SESEC, who also attended the meeting and provided support.

The meeting covered three main parts:

  • SAC’s introduction to China’s National Standardization Development Outline;
  • ETSI’s interpretation of the EU Standardization Strategy and other recent activities;
  • Discussion over the EU’s Standard Essential Patents Regulation Proposal.

More specifically, Mr. Xiao Han gave the opening speech and elaborated in detail on China’s standardization strategy, including its background, supporting policies as well as recent developments. On the other hand, Mr. Luis Jorge Romero shared his views on the EU’s Standardization Strategy and the EU’s AI Act. Following the presentation, the two sides exchanged information and shared their experience on the cultivation of standardization experts, EU’s Standard Essential Patents Regulation Proposal, as well as China’s current standard essential standard policies and regulations.

At the end of the meeting, both sides recognized the importance of communication as it deepens both sides’ understanding of each other’s actions in the field of standardization. Mr. Luis Jorge Romero again expressed appreciation to SAC for hosting the meeting, and looked forward to future exchanges.