Notice2021-24090
Study on People's Republic of China (PRC) Policies and Influence in the Development of International Standards for Emerging Technologies
Primary source
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Published
November 4, 2021
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Institute of Standards and Technology
Abstract
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is soliciting public comment on People's Republic of China (PRC) policies and influence in the development of international standards for emerging technologies. Section 9414 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2021 directs NIST to enter into an agreement with an appropriate entity to conduct a study and provide recommendations with respect to the effect of policies of the PRC and coordination among industrial entities within the PRC on international bodies engaged in developing and setting international standards for emerging technologies. NIST is seeking comments to provide information for the study and resulting recommendations. In addition to the specific topic areas found in the Request for Information section of this notice, commenters may provide responses to any other relevant issues. Recommendations on the actions the United States could take to mitigate any undue influence of the PRC and bolster United States public and private sector participation in international standards- setting bodies are also sought. Comments received in response to this request will be used to inform the work of the entity.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 211 (Thursday, November 4, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 211 (Thursday, November 4, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60801-60802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24090]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket Number 211026-0219]
Study on People's Republic of China (PRC) Policies and Influence
in the Development of International Standards for Emerging Technologies
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
Commerce.
ACTION: Request for information.
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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is
soliciting public comment on People's Republic of China (PRC) policies
and influence in the development of international standards for
emerging technologies. Section 9414 of the National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2021 directs NIST to enter into an
agreement with an appropriate entity to conduct a study and provide
recommendations with respect to the effect of policies of the PRC and
coordination among industrial entities within the PRC on international
bodies engaged in developing and setting international standards for
emerging technologies. NIST is seeking comments to provide information
for the study and resulting recommendations. In addition to the
specific topic areas found in the Request for Information section of
this notice, commenters may provide responses to any other relevant
issues. Recommendations on the actions the United States could take to
mitigate any undue influence of the PRC and bolster United States
public and private sector participation in international standards-
setting bodies are also sought. Comments received in response to this
request will be used to inform the work of the entity.
DATES: Comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on December
6, 2021. Written comments in response to the RFI should be submitted
according to the instructions in the ADDRESSES section below.
Submissions received after that date may not be considered.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic submission: Submit electronic public comments
via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.
1. Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> and enter NIST-2021-0006 in the search
field,
2. Click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields,
and
3. Enter or attach your comments.
Comments containing references, studies, research, and other
empirical data that are not widely published should include copies of
the referenced materials. All submissions, including attachments and
other supporting materials, will become part of the public record and
subject to public disclosure. NIST reserves the right to publish
relevant comments publicly, unedited and in their entirety. Personal
information, such as account numbers or Social Security numbers, or
names of other individuals, should not be included. Do not submit
confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive or protected
information. Comments that contain profanity, vulgarity, threats, or
other inappropriate language or content will not be considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David F. Alderman, Standards Services
Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology via email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3054514659541e515c5455425d515e705e5943441e575f46"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6f0b0e19060b410e030b0a1d020e012f01061c1b41080019">[email protected]</span></a>, or phone; 240-446-8843. Please direct media
inquiries to NIST's Office of Public Affairs at (301) 975-2762 or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dbb2b5aaaeb2a9b2bea89bb5b2a8aff5bcb4ad"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f69f9887839f849f9385b6989f8582d8919980">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NIST's Standards Coordination Office (SCO),
initiates and manages programs, tools and activities to enhance U.S.
industry competitiveness and federal agencies' coordination on issues
related to technical standards and conformity assessment.
SCO monitors and participates in standards development and
conformity assessment activities globally, consults with other federal
agencies on standards policy issues, offers workshops and educational
seminars for domestic and international audiences, and provides
standards-related research and information services. More information
can be found at <a href="https://www.nist.gov/standardsgov/about-standardsgov">https://www.nist.gov/standardsgov/about-standardsgov</a>.
All industries use standardized processes and specifications to
ensure that products are built to work together seamlessly. If each
country or company did not adhere to the same standards, technologies
would not be able to easily work with products designed by other
companies or to work in other markets. In effect, standards allow
products to be designed and produced at scale and used worldwide, which
facilitates global trade. For example, the Wi-Fi standard provides the
requirements for wireless local area networks and has facilitated the
broad-based adoption of Wi-Fi wireless technology, which is now
ubiquitous and has become indispensable for home networking, public
internet connectivity, supporting the Internet of Things, and more.
Standards can also be proprietary and for-profit. For example, an
operating system in a phone is open-source in order to promote
standardization among smartphone makers and app developers, but
companies still must pay licensing fees to use it.
There is not a single process by which all standards are created.
Generally speaking, standards are set by a combination of private
companies who are industry leaders as well as by international industry
associations. Standards are enforced either as a convention--a ``best
practice''--or as formal agreements, depending on the industry and
product.
Standards are not just useful for solving practical issues of
compatibility, but also because they accelerate innovation. When
companies use open standards rather than proprietary ones, they do not
need to devote resources to developing their own internal systems and
can instead follow established practices. International standards allow
regulators and governments to improve trade policies and develop better
regulations. International standards developed in a process consistent
with the World Trade Organization's Technical Barriers to Trade
Agreement provide an ideal tool to support trade agreements, and to
provide confidence that requirements for products and testing have
global relevance and are accepted worldwide.
[[Page 60802]]
Requirements of the Statutory Provision
Section 9414 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2021 (``William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2021'') (Pub. L. 116-283) requires NIST to enter
into an agreement with an appropriate entity to study the effect of the
policies of the People's Republic of China and coordination among
industrial entities within the People's Republic of China on
international bodies engaged in developing and setting international
standards for emerging technologies.
``Made in China 2025'' is a strategic plan that was initiated in
2015 to reduce China's dependence on foreign technology and promote
Chinese technological manufacturers in the global marketplace. The goal
was to reach this objective by the year 2025, a decade from the year
when the plan first took root. More information on the ``Made in China
2025'' policy can be found at <a href="http://english.www.gov.cn/policies/latest_releases/2015/05/19/content_281475110703534.htm">http://english.www.gov.cn/policies/latest_releases/2015/05/19/content_281475110703534.htm</a>.
The ``China Standards 2035'' project will most likely build upon
Made in China 2025. The ``China Standards 2035'' plan will lay out a
blueprint for China's government and leading technology companies to
set global standards for emerging technologies in areas such as
artificial intelligence and advanced communications technology.
International standards need to be relevant and to effectively
respond to regulatory and market needs, as well as scientific and
technological developments in various countries. They should not
distort the global market, have adverse effects on fair competition, or
stifle innovation and technological development. In addition, they
should not give preference to the characteristics or requirements of
specific countries or regions when different needs or interests exist
in other countries or regions. Whenever possible, international
standards should be performance based rather than based on design or
descriptive characteristics.
Request for Information
To ensure that the broad perspective of the standards community
informs the development of and aligns with government's future plans
and approaches, this RFI invites stakeholders throughout the scientific
research, advocacy, industry, and non-scientific communities, including
the general public, to comment. The enumerated list of topics below
covers the major areas about which NIST seeks comment and is not
intended to limit the topics that may be addressed. Commenters may
provide responses to other relevant issues, such as the extent to which
the PRC partners with foreign governments or multinational corporations
to promote technical standards that may advantage PRC companies,
entities, or state objectives; the aims of the PRC in international
standards setting organizations, including an analysis of Chinese-
language sources; the standardization strategy of the PRC, as
identified in the stated intentions of the ``China Standards 2035''
plan, including how and to what extent that strategy has been
implemented and has influenced PRC industry and academic sectors,
including in the development of indigenous standards with international
implications. Commenters may also offer comments on whether
international standards for select emerging technologies (e.g.,
electronics, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT),
blockchain and financial technologies, clean energy technologies, and
quantum information technologies) are being designed to promote or
favor interests of the PRC, as expressed in the ``Made in China 2025''
plan, to the exclusion or disadvantage of other participants or in a
way that may not result in the best technological solution. Responses
may include any topic believed to have implications for the study.
1. The participation of the People's Republic of China in
international standards setting organizations over the previous 10
years, including leadership roles in standards drafting technical
committees, and the quality or value of that participation;
2. The effect of the standardization strategy of the People's
Republic of China, as identified in the ``China Standards 2035'' plan
on international bodies engaged in developing and setting standards for
select emerging technologies, such as advanced communication
technologies, or cloud computing and cloud services;
3. Whether international standards for select emerging technologies
are being designed to promote interests of the People's Republic of
China as expressed in the ``Made in China 2025'' plan to the exclusion
of other participants;
4. How previous practices used by the People's Republic of China
while participating in international standards setting organizations
may foretell how the People's Republic of China is likely to engage in
international standardization activities of critical technologies like
artificial intelligence and quantum information science, and what may
be the consequences;
5. Recommendations on how the United States can take steps to
mitigate the influence of the People's Republic of China and bolster
United States public and private sector participation in international
standards-setting bodies.
Alicia Chambers,
NIST Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2021-24090 Filed 11-3-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P
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