Chinese influence through technical standardization power

In: Journal of contemporary China, Band 32, Heft 139, S. 54-72

Abstract

Geo-economic rivalry is back on the international agenda, particularly in the field of high technology. Very often, technical standards are regarded as being a central arena of this competition. Surprisingly ignored is the question, how precisely technical standard-setting (such as Wi-Fi or 5G) empowers China. Based on the analysis of quantitative data, primary sources, and in-depth interviews, this article substantiates the widespread hypothesis that China's growing footprint in technical standardization empowers the Chinese party-state. It introduces seven proxies to measure influence on standard-setting. Next, it explains how technical standards can be utilized by states to gain economic, legal, political, and discursive influence. Finally, it shows thatChina's growing footprint in technical standardization is the result of party-state engagement, which provides leverage to China's political leadership. (J Contemp China/GIGA)