On 7 July 2026, the National Standardization Administration of China (SAC) launched a Call for Comment on the revised draft Measures for the Administration of Foreign-Language Versions of National Standards (hereinafter referred to as the Draft). The revision aims to address unclear responsibilities, cumbersome project initiation, long translation cycles, uneven quality control and limited follow-up after publication.
In short, the current system has not kept pace with the growing use of Chinese standards in trade and overseas projects, including those linked to the Belt and Road Initiative. The Draft approaches foreign-language versions as a full-cycle process rather than a one-off translation exercise. Its proposed changes can be summarized as follows:
- Clearer responsibilities: SAC retains overall management. Relevant administrative departments under the State Council will propose projects and organize translation and review for mandatory national standards, while guiding project applications and approval filings for voluntary standards. When entrusted by SAC, national standardization technical committees will organize translation and review, assess promotion and application, and analyze feedback.
- Clearer translation priorities: Mandatory national standards, standards needed for import and export trade, and standards supporting the export and overseas use of Chinese products, technologies and services should be translated. Standards that adopt international or foreign standards will generally not be translated.
- Wider project proposal channels: Government departments, social organizations, enterprises, public institutions and individuals may submit proposals to SAC, together with any existing translation work. This could give European stakeholders a channel to request translations of standards relevant to trade, product compliance or technical cooperation. Whether foreign entities can use the channel directly remains to be seen.
- Faster delivery: The Draft simplifies project review and introduces tighter timelines for both published national standards and standards still under development.
- Stronger quality control: Translation units may work with professional agencies or use AI language translation models as support. Review by standardization, technical and language experts will be strengthened, and a translation note will be required to document key decisions and amendments.
- Free Access: The Draft adds provisions on public access, promotion, application tracking and user feedback. If the Chinese and foreign-language versions differ, the Chinese version will prevail. In April 2026, SAC made foreign language versions of national standards freely available to the public. The new provisions would turn this service into a standing mechanism rather than a one-off initiative.
- Promotion, application and feedback: The Draft requires relevant administrative departments and technical committees to promote foreign-language versions, conduct outreach and regularly track their application. Individuals and organizations may report problems or suggest revisions through the National Public Service Platform for Standards Information, creating a post-publication feedback loop for identifying and addressing translation problems.
The real significance of the Draft lies in the foreign stakeholders’ access to China’s standardization system. The proposed rules would clarify who manages foreign-language versions, how translation needs can be raised, and how problems can be reported after publication.
However, one question remains open: whether these feedback and participation channels are intended for foreign entities, or mainly for Chinese stakeholders operating in overseas markets. If the latter, European stakeholders may still need to work through Chinese partners, industry associations or technical committees. That distinction will determine how useful the new channels will be in practice. SESEC will closely follow the final version and any implementation guidance on this point.
