The Qingdao Area of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Qingdao FTZ) has been selected as one of five areas in China to take part in a new pilot program aimed at further opening up the country's standardization system, according to a recent approval issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Commerce.

The pilot program will run for three years and aims to improve alignment between Chinese and international standards and support greater institutional opening-up.

In recent years, Qingdao FTZ has promoted the development and use of technical standards in its key industries, linking research with standards development and practical application. It has also supported local companies in participating in the development of international standards. COSMOPlat Research Institute, for example, led the development of the world's first international standard for the functional architecture of industrial internet systems.

Under the new pilot program, Qingdao FTZ will focus on sectors including smart home appliances, rubber tires, ports and shipping, rail transit, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and green and low-carbon industries.

The program will focus on four areas: aligning standards more closely with high-standard international economic and trade rules; strengthening coordination between domestic and international standards; expanding international cooperation on standardization; and improving standards for the business environment to facilitate greater alignment between domestic and international rules.

Qingdao FTZ will work with the city's market regulation authorities to implement the program in stages over the next three years, with detailed measures to be introduced as the pilot progresses.