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China is writing the world’s technology rules
It is setting standards for everything from 6G to quantum computing.
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China’s growing role in standard-setting extends well beyond mobile networks.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The Economist
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A smartphone is a testimony to the power of standardisation. Comprising components from hundreds of suppliers, it can find a signal almost anywhere in the world and connect to a wide array of ancillary devices, all because countless companies have subjected themselves to a common set of technical specifications.
How such rules are set is a mystery to most people. Global bodies such as the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) periodically convene companies and technology wonks to thrash out agreements.
