China’s ‘state-centric approach’ to technical standards-setting worries EU firms

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Technical-standards setting has arisen as the new battleground in superpower rivalry, with challenges posed by China’s rise also a “wake-up call” for Europe, an EU business group has warned.

In contrast with the free-market driven practices in the West, China’s “state-centric approach” to standards will likely add to the risks of increased politicisation and a decoupling from international technical measures, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said in a report released on Thursday.