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Opinion | China Standards 2035: How China plans to win the future with its own international tech standards
- China did not have the opportunity to contribute to many of today’s global standards
- The China Standards 2035 plan lays out objectives on game-changing areas like blockchain, quantum computing and AI
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For two and a half centuries, international technology standards have been an engine for wealth creation and dominance largely belonging to the West. However, this is now changing.
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China is quickly stepping up, creating a new kind of competition – no longer about technological superiority – but about rule making and system design.
Standards define technology and technology defines the modern world. It allows companies and nations to earn substantial returns through market dominance and royalties. Once established, standards are difficult to change and those coming from behind cannot compete on the same terms as the established players.
Consumers do not know what standards mean – but if there are enough users of a particular protocol, it often becomes the standard of the masses and creates a domino effect for others to join rather than risk being left out.
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In the mobile industry, Google sets standards with Android. The operating system is free but the data capture is priceless.
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