Foreign-owned businesses to participate in process to help raise the bar for industry

China is allowing foreign-owned businesses to play a greater role in defining the standards of industries within the country, a move experts said demonstrates Beijing's determination to ensure product quality and reassure consumers both here and abroad.

According to the Wednesday State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, more international standards will be applied, and "curbs will be further eased" so that foreign-owned businesses can participate in setting standards for the country.

A decision was made move standards to "a high level through effective market competition", according to a news release issued after the meeting.

China is expected to make adjustments to address "the weak management, chaotic system and low level of existing standards", the meeting concluded.

Members of the State Council were gathered on Wednesday to approve reforms for advancing standardization in Chinese industries, calling for an "upgraded effort to boost economic quality and efficiency".

One of the major goals is to "make standards stipulated by China take root in the world, win authority, strive for credibility and provide a pass check for made-in-China businesses".

Fan Yongming, professor of Institute of international studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, observed that the latest policy decision demonstrates China's courage and desire to better adapt to international best practices.

Global manufacturing giants, such as Volkswagen and GE, often stipulate production standards much higher than the government's standards, so involving the foreign businesses is a good choice, Fan said.

Accepting companies from abroad into the stipulation of standards also mirrors China's confidence as the country's industries "have entered the era in which they are capable of embracing higher standards and tougher demands from the market", Fan said. "It is a part of the expanding reach of China's economy in the world." Another critical goal set at the meeting was to "establish unified national compulsory standards in areas of public interest, such as health, safety and environmental protection". China has outlined ambitious goals to develop unified standards and eliminate quality problems in food and medicines in the country.

The country will "basically establish a nationwide unified standards system for food safety" in 2015, Jin Xiaotao, vice-minister of National Health and Family Planning Commission told a late-January meeting.

The meeting included in-depth discussion about strengthening land management and protection to better support economic development. Exactly who has the duty of protecting arable land should be tangibly broken down and assigned, and the management of income and expenses related to land transfers should be strengthened, the meeting concluded.

zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn