The following document is a guide to how China should formulate AI-related standards. The guide governs how China crafts standards for both AI technology itself and for applications of AI in various industries, and is relevant for either domestic or international standards-setting. Note that although this is the “2024 edition” of the guide, CSET has not observed a “2025 edition” as of the publication date of this translation.

An archived version of the Chinese source text is available online at:    https://perma.cc/S9ZU-TRJT

Guidelines for the Construction of a Comprehensive Standardization System for the National Artificial Intelligence Industry (2024 Edition)¹

These Guidelines have been formulated in order to thoroughly implement the directives of the Party Central Committee and the State Council on accelerating the development of artificial intelligence (AI), to put into practice the National Standardization Development Outline² and the Global AI Governance Initiative,³ to further enhance the systematic planning of AI standardization efforts, to accelerate the development of a standards system that supports the high-quality growth of the AI industry and meets the demands of high-level empowerment through “AI+,” and to strengthen the foundational role of standards in driving technological advancement, fostering enterprise growth, guiding industrial transformation and upgrading, and safeguarding industrial security.

I. Industry Development Status

AI is a basic and strategic technology that is leading a new round of scientific and technological (S&T) revolution and industrial transformation. It is rapidly becoming a key engine for developing new quality productive forces (新质生产力), accelerating deep integration with the real economy, comprehensively empowering new-style industrialization (新型工业化), and profoundly changing the mode of industrial production and the form of economic development. It will play an important supporting role in accelerating the construction of a manufacturing powerhouse, a cyber powerhouse,⁴ and a Digital China. The AI production chain includes four parts: the basic layer, framework layer, model layer, and application layer. The basic layer mainly includes computing power (“compute”), algorithms, and data; the framework layer mainly refers to the deep learning frameworks and tools used for model development; the model layer mainly refers to technologies and products such as large models; and the application layer mainly refers to the applications of AI technology in industry scenarios. In recent years, China’s AI industry has achieved rapid development in technological innovation, product creation, and industry applications, forming a market with a massive scale. With the accelerated iteration of new technologies as represented by large models, the AI industry has presented new features such as collective breakthroughs (群体突破) in innovative technology, integrated development of industry applications, and deep collaboration through international cooperation. There is an urgent need to improve the system of standards for the AI industry.

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1. Translator’s note: CSET previously translated a draft version of these guidelines. This translation is available online at: https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/china-ai-standards-system-guidelines-draft/.
2. Translator’s note: CSET’s English translation of China’s National Standardization Development Outline is available online at: https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/the-chinese-communist-party-central-committee-and-the-state-council-publish-the-national-standardization-development-outline/.
3. Translator’s note: Archived versions of the text of the English and Chinese versions of China’s Global Governance Initiative are available online, respectively, at https://perma.cc/F4N3-UGG6 and https://perma.cc/A4E9-XAZQ.
4. Translator’s note: This translation renders the Chinese word 强国 qiángguó—which literally means “strong nation”—in English as “powerhouse,” as in the phrases “manufacturing powerhouse” (制造强国) and “cyber powerhouse” (网络强国). For a more thorough discussion in English of the Chinese word qiángguó, see: https://www.newamerica.org/cybersecurity-initiative/digichina/blog/lexicon-wangluo-qiangguo/.