WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/W/282 
6 November 2007 
 (07-4824) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
ANNUAL TRANSITIONAL REVIEW MANDATED IN PARAGRAPH 18 OF THE 
PROTOCOL OF ACCESSION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA: 
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN ANNEX 1A OF WT/L/432 
 
Submission by the People's Republic of China
 
 
  The following communication, dated 5 November 2007, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of the People's Republic of China
. 
 
 
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I. NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF THE CODE OF GOOD PRACTICE NOT 
LATER THAN FOUR MONTHS AFTER CHINA'S ACCESSION 
1. There has been no change in this area since the last review.  
II. PERIODIC REVIEW OF EXISTING STANDARDS OF GOVERNMENT 
STANDARDIZING BODIES AND HARMONIZATION OF THE SAME WITH RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS WHERE APPROPRIATE 
2. There has been no change in this area since the last review. 
III. REVISION OF CURRENT VOLUNTARY NATIONAL, LOCAL AND SECTORAL 
STANDARDS SO AS TO HARMONIZE THEM WITH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS 
3. The Standardization Law of the People's Republic  of China encourages active alignment with 
international standards.  The Plan on Prepara tion of National Standards places priority on those 
projects in alignment with international standards.  The same principle will be followed in the coming 
years.  Other than this, there has been no change in this area since the last review. 
IV. USE OF THE TERMS "TECHNICAL REGULATIONS" AND "STANDARDS" 
ACCORDING TO THEIR MEANING UNDER THE TBT AGREEMENT IN CHINA'S NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE TBT AG REEMENT, INCLUDING UNDER 
ARTICLE 15.2 THEREOF AND PUBLICATIONS REFERENCED THEREIN, AND 
IN MODIFICATIONS OF EXISTING MEASURES 
4. Ever since its accession to the WTO, China has been using the terms "technical regulations" 
and "standards" according to their meaning under the TBT Agreement.  There are two types of 
standards in China: mandatory and recommendatory . The nature of mandatory standards in China 
conforms to the definition of technical regula tions under the TBT Agreement and forms a main 
component of Chinese technical regulations.  Si nce accession to the WTO,  China has notified  G/TBT/W/282 
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  218 mandatory standards to the WTO in accordance w ith the requirements of the TBT Agreement on 
technical regulations (by 30 September 2007). 
V. REVIEW OF TECHNICAL REGULATIONS EVERY FIVE YEARS TO ENSURE 
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ARE USED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 2.4 OF THE AGREEMENT AND PO LICIES FOR ADOPTION OF 
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AS THE BASIS FOR TECHNICAL REGULATION 
AS PART OF ITS NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 15.2 OF THE AGREEMENT 
5. There has been no change in this area since the last review. 
VI. PROGRESS REPORT ON INCREASE OF THE USE OF INTERNATIONAL 
STANDARDS AS THE BASIS FOR TECHNICAL REGULATIONS BY TEN PER 
CENT IN FIVE YEARS 
6. There has been no change in this area since the last review. 
VII. PROVISION OF PROCEDURES TO IMPLEMENT ARTICLE 2.7 OF THE 
AGREEMENT 
7. There has been no change in this area since the last review. 
VIII.  PROVISION OF A LIST OF RELEVANT LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-
GOVERNMENTAL BODIES THAT ARE AUTHORIZED TO PREPARE TECHNICAL REGULATIONS OR CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES AS PART OF CHINA'S NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 15.2 OF THE AGREEMENT 
8. There has been no change in this area since last review.  
IX. UPDATED LIST ON THE CONFORMITY  ASSESSMENT BODIES THAT ARE 
RECOGNIZED BY CHINA  
9. The number of conformity assessment bodies r ecognized by the Chinese Government is  
185 in 2007 (as of 30 September 2007), in comparison to 156 in 2006.  
A detailed list can be obtained on: http:/ /www.cnca.gov.cn/cnca/cxzq/default.shtml  
X. ENACTMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION  OF A NEW LAW AND RELEVANT 
REGULATIONS REGARDING ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL OF CHEMICALS FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH COMPLETE NATIONAL TREATMENT AND FULL CONSISTENCY WITH INTERNATIONAL PRACTICES WOULD BE ENSURED WITHIN ONE YEAR AFTER CHINA'S ACCESSION FOLLOWING CONDITIONS SET OUT IN 3(T) OF THE TBT 
WORKING PARTY REPORT  
10. There has been no change in this area since the last review.   G/TBT/W/282 
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  XI. INFORMATION ON WHETHER, ONE YEAR AFTER ACCESSION, ALL 
CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT BODIES AND AGENCIES ARE AUTHORIZED TO UNDERTAKE CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT FOR BOTH IMPORTED AND DOMESTIC PRODUCTS AND ARE FOLLOWING THE CONDITIONS OUTLINED IN SECTION 13, SUBPARAGRAPH 4(A) OF THE PROTOCOL 
XII. ASSIGNMENT OF THE RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHINA'S 
CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT BODIES SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF THE SCOPE OF WORK AND TYPE OF PRODUCT WITHOUT ANY CONSIDERATION OF THE ORIGIN OF A PRODUCT NO LATER THAN EIGHTEEN MONTHS AFTER ACCESSION 
XIII.  NOTIFICATION OF THE RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES ASSIGNED TO 
CHINA'S CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT BODIES TO THE TBT COMMITTEE 12 MONTHS AFTER ACCESSION 
11. There has been no change in this area since the last review.    
 
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