On 28 November 2024, Mr. Deng Zhiyong was appointed as the new Administrator of National Standardization Administration of China (SAC) to oversee China standardization work.
A leadership change in SAMR and SAC occurred in September 2024, while Mr. Tian Shihong, the vice administrator of SAMR and SAC administrator at that time, announced his retirement ahead of the original plan, and officially stepped down as the SAC administrator.
Mr. Tian was appointed as SAC Administrator in 2013. During his tenure, Tian actively promoted the reform and innovation of China’s standardization system and vigorously advanced the internationalization of standardization efforts. It is under his pushing, last round of China Standardization reformed happened from 2013 and the New Standardization Law was published in 2017, implemented 1 Jan 2018.
The newly appointed SAC Administrator, Mr. Deng Zhiyong, has been deeply engaged in standardization and quality management over decades.
Below is his publicly available resume:
- Born in February 1971, holds a university degree and an MBA.
- Deputy Director of the Office and Director of the Publishing and Distribution Department at the China Quality Daily a leading national newspaper dedicated to reporting on quality management, standardization, and market regulation.
- Director (Division Chief) of the Office (Personnel Division), Director of the Disciplinary Inspection and Supervision Office under the Party Committee, Deputy Director of the Comprehensive Business Department, and Director of the Office at the Standardization Administration of China (SAC).
- Used to work as Director of International Cooperation department of SAC around 2013.
- In October 2017, appointed as Head of the Disciplinary Inspection Group and a member of the Party Leadership Group at SAC.
- Subsequently served as Director of the General Office of the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).
- In November 2024, Mr. DENG was appointed as a member of SAMR’s Party Leadership Group, Vice Administer of SAMR, and Administrator of SAC.
Mr. Deng has extensive experience in the quality infrastructure and standardization sectors, reflecting his deep understanding of standardization. Additionally, Mr. Deng oversees six departments of SAMR currently, while his predecessor Mr. TIAN only in charge of two departments.
- Planning and Finance Department
- Internet Trading Supervision and Management Department
- Quality Development Bureau
- Product Quality Safety Supervision and Management Department
- Standardization Technology Management Department
- Standardization Innovation Management Department
Mr. DENG has deep knowledge with standardization work and his experience as Director of International Cooperation department of SAC makes him quite familiar with international standardization and international cooperation. One month after he stepped in as the new administrator of SAC, on 10th January 2025, he has already organized the meeting with European companies in China on the topic of “Recommendations to the SAMR’s Standards and Technology and Standards and Innovation Departments on stabilising foreign investment from standardisation perspective”. This is a very open and positive signal to European industries on the future cooperation and participation with Chinese standardization work. For the EU stakeholders in EU, it also showed China and SAC still put EU-China standardization cooperation as a priority.
