On December 16, 2025, the National Standardization Administration of China (SAC) issued the Notice on Further Regulate the Attribution of Drafting Units and Individuals for Voluntary National Standards (hereinafter referred to “the Notice”) to address malpractices such as "paid attribution" and "favor-based listing" in the drafting of voluntary national standards. The core objective is to ensure that the listing of drafting units and individuals genuinely reflects substantive technical contribution, thereby safeguarding the quality, authority, and accountability of the standards. The article will summarize the key points of the Notice.

Foundational Principles

Attribution must be truthful, transparent, and based on actual contribution. Any form of compensated or gratuitous listing for entities or individuals without substantive technical input is prohibited.

Listed drafting units and individuals must possess relevant professional expertise and have participated substantively in the drafting work. Their numbers should be kept within a reasonable limit.

Primary responsibility for managing attribution lies with the relevant Technical Committee (TC). In the absence of TC, the designated administrative entity shall take on the same responsibility of TCs. They must ensure the transparency and traceability of contributor information and their actual contributions.

Process Controls and Traceability

A drafting working group must be established after project initiation. It is required to define participating units, individuals, and their specific responsibilities upfront, with records filed to the TC secretariat.

Drafting units and individuals must be clearly identified in the foreword and explanatory notes at key drafting stages: committee draft, draft for comments, and draft for review. The specific contributions must be detailed.

The list of contributors confirmed at the draft for comment stage is, as a general rule, final and should not be altered subsequently. Any necessary adjustments require consensus within the drafting working group and documented approval should be in place as a record and being filed to the TC secretariat.

The secretariat of TC is mandated to archive all process documentation (meeting minutes, attendance lists, contributor records, adjustment logs) to maintain a complete, auditable trail. Unauthorized changes to attribution are forbidden.

Monitor and Accountability Mechanisms

An internal complaint mechanism is also emphasized in the Notice. Disputes regarding attribution are first addressed through consultation within the drafting working group. Unresolved issues are escalated to the TC for a final decision.

External monitor is reinforced. Any organization or individual may report suspected misconduct (e.g., falsification, abuse of power, misappropriation of credit) to SAC.

SAC will conduct periodic random inspections. Violations confirmed through inspections or reports will be addressed in accordance with regulations. Penalties may involve relevant authorities, and serious cases may result in notification to the violator's superior governing body.

Next Step and Suggestions

The requirements in the Notice come into force on the issuing date of the Notice. They shall apply to all newly established projects and ongoing projects that have not yet reached the draft-for-comment stage.

There does not seem to be any direct impact for foreign stakeholders regarding market access or product compliance. However, the essential purpose to run a stricter and fairer management on the attribution of national standards is to eliminate some of the existing invisible issues in the standard system, creating a fairer system and mechanism that shall be easier for SMEs, MNCs or any type of non-giant enterprises to participate in the country’s standardization work if they intend to, especially those with technical advantages.