A Different System: US and China Also Pursue Standardization Through Public-Private Partnerships [Tech War, Birth of Advanced Nations]

Massive Investment by China Since 2003
5G Standard Patent Share at 31.8%
US Expands Investment in AI and Quantum Technologies
Establishing Standard Cooperation Systems with Allies

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] Major countries are strengthening their roles in establishing government-level standard strategies and adjusting policy directions to strategically respond to the inter-country standard wars.

The Rise of China, The Defense of the US

China has set the ‘China Standard 2035’ strategy, focusing on technology, following ‘Made in China 2025,’ which aimed to revitalize manufacturing. The core of ‘China Standard 2035’ is to establish China-specific technical standards and then spread them globally through the Belt and Road Initiative (육상 및 해상 실크로드, land and maritime Silk Road).

After failing to internationalize its own wireless LAN security standard (WAPI) in 2003, China has made massive investments in international standardization. It has now emerged as an influential force in major organizations that set international standards. China holds 95 technical committee chair positions in ISO and IEC and has submitted 979 technical documents to the ITU. This exceeds the combined contributions of Korea, the US, and Japan. China became the sixth permanent member of the ISO Council, following the US, UK, Germany, France, and Japan. Notably, it has achieved results in 5G and artificial intelligence (AI). China holds 17,959 5G standard patents, accounting for 31.8% of the total. It also leads the global 5G communication equipment market with a 42.3% share. In AI, systematic support has led to the highest number of patent applications since 2019.

The US has based its standard development on a bottom-up, private-sector-led approach since the early days of standardization, but the government plays a role in policy coordination. Additionally, the national standardization body under the US federal government adopts industry-specific professional organizations’ standards as national standards rather than creating them directly. Recently, the US has expanded investments and focused capabilities on establishing standard cooperation systems with allies to secure technology and standards leadership in emerging fields such as AI, quantum computing, and 6G. To lead in advanced technology sectors, it is promoting the enactment of the Innovation Competition Act, which includes expanding research and development (R&D) investment and strengthening international standardization leadership.

Public-Private Cooperation is Key to Becoming a Standard Power

Korea’s government agency, the National Institute of Technology and Standards, is leading related tasks. Industry-specific organizations and major companies need to participate more actively in standardization to maintain industrial leadership.

Professor Yeom Heung-yeol of Soonchunhyang University’s Department of Information Security said, "Public institutions and private startups should directly participate in international standardization work to enhance the competitiveness of their products and services," adding, "If standards proposed by Korea become international standards, they can have strong market influence."

The government also needs to increase R&D investment. Professor Lee Jeong-dong of Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Technology Management, Economics, and Policy wrote in ‘The First Question’ that "a leading project is needed to create a model of standard strategy by gathering the capabilities of companies, universities, and research institutes, focusing on core technology fields," and emphasized, "The government should support many experiments across industries."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.