For the first time, a leading standards development organization based in the United States has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the national standards body of China. This historic event occurred on August 20 in Beijing when senior officials from ASTM International and the Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China (SAC) signed an MOU to strengthen the relationship between the two standards organizations.
The MOU was signed by ASTM International President James A. Thomas and SAC Vice Administrator Zhang Yanhua. Witnesses included SAC Administrator Li Zhonghai and Deputy Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Ben Wu. The signing, along with participation in standardization workshops held in Beijing earlier that week, is the latest event in ASTM’s ongoing involvement in Chinese standardization. The MOU will enhance the ability of SAC and ASTM International to support the needs of the Chinese people and aid in the development of Chinese national standards for health, safety, and the
environment.
Following the signing, President Thomas stated, “ASTM standards have a century of history in the world’s marketplace helping to ensure good quality products and accurate testing procedures. With China’s trade topping $400 billion for both imports and exports in 2003, standards are of the utmost importance. The signing of this MOU with the SAC is a great step forward to encouraging greater access to ASTM standards in China as well as a bigger voice by Chinese experts in the content of ASTM standards.”
ASTM International and SAC agreed to explore cooperation opportunities for standards development in areas of mutual interest; promote communication and knowledge between the two organizations; and promote greater Chinese participation into the ASTM standards development process.
Part of the MOU agreement involves ASTM annually providing the full collection of ASTM standards to SAC; jointly sponsoring standards and training programs; providing participating membership to representatives of SAC on ASTM technical committees; and providing internship programs for SAC experts to come to ASTM International Headquarters for extended study of the ASTM International standards development process.
In return, SAC will promote the acceptance and use of ASTM standards in China; utilize the resources of ASTM International to develop Chinese National Standards and reference ASTM standards where applicable in Chinese National Standards; provide access to current ASTM standards including a link to ASTM International’s website on the SAC home page. SAC will also facilitate connections between Chinese technical experts and ASTM International technical committees to ensure that the standards meet the needs of Chinese industry.
ASTM International has had a presence in China for many years. Its involvement includes agreements with other standards organizations including the Chinese National Institute of Standardization (CNIS) and the Shanghai Institute of Standardization (SIS). In addition, ASTM has published an annual Chinese version of its magazine, Standardization News, as a joint venture with the China Association for Standardization (CAS) since 1991. SAC currently reports that it uses nearly 500 ASTM standards as the basis for its national standards in China.
The spirit of cooperation continued during the week of the MOU signing with ASTM International’s participation in the 2004 U.S.-China Standards and Conformity Assessment Workshop, also held in Beijing. The workshop featured presentations from ASTM committee members on current market realities in the global steel market and on standards for gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuels.
Established in 1898, ASTM International is an open forum for the development of high quality, market relevant international standards used around the globe.

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