If the U.S. Doesn't Set Global Tech Standards, China Will

Hindustan Times

21 hours ago

Imagine an internet where your identity is automatically attached to everything you do—every website you visit, every click you make. That was the vision behind New IP, a proposal Chinese engineers introduced at a United Nations telecom forum in 2019. New IP would have replaced the current open internet with a government-controlled system designed for surveillance and censorship.
China shelved the proposal in the face of fierce opposition from Western governments, but it served as a wake-up call. China wants to dominate the technical standards that shape our digital future, filling a void that the U.S. has created as it has gradually withdrawn from this arena over the past decade. For too long, Washington has remained on the sidelines while Beijing has set the rules for new technologies.
President Trump aims to change that. His administration's recent AI Action Plan and executive orders direct the State and Commerce departments to foster tech standards that reflect democratic values and resist authoritarian influence.
These specifications determine how our devices communicate, how networks operate, and how much freedom we have online. From 5G telecommunications to artificial intelligence protocols, tech standards have shaped the digital landscape for decades. Without them, innovation runs into incompatible systems.
Historically, international standards organizations operated with significant influence from Western countries. The process for developing standards was generally consensus-driven and based on merit. But as America pulled back from setting tech standards, China stepped in. Chinese officials now flood key technical meetings, submit many proposals, and vote as a bloc to promote Beijing's agenda. Today, Chinese experts chair many of the committees setting the rules for next-generation technologies.
America has itself to blame for China's growing power in the tech sphere. For years, U.S. policymakers and companies grew complacent, assuming that our technological dominance would naturally ensure that standards would follow our lead. Western participation in standards organizations declined after 2008 as companies cut back travel budgets during the recession. Beijing capitalized on this, updating laws in 2018 to encourage participation in international standards organizations and processes.
By 2021, China held more than 30% of the leadership positions in the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union technical committees, while the U.S. held less than 8%. The same year, the Chinese tech powerhouse Huawei sent more engineers than Google and Apple combined to a meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force, which develops core internet protocols.
This is all part of Beijing's strategy to embed its authoritarian values into the global technology sector. China's 'cyber sovereignty' doctrine, the principle that governments should control and monitor their digital infrastructure, is increasingly influencing global standards. Chinese firms have promoted facial recognition and 'smart city' surveillance standards through U.N. channels, legitimizing technologies that enable real-time population tracking.
Meanwhile, China's Belt and Road Initiative exports these technologies to developing countries, often tied to predatory loans. Once enough nations adopt Chinese tech, Beijing's standards automatically gain worldwide influence.
If the technical underpinnings of AI, telecommunications and the internet enable government control, international freedom and privacy will decline. We face a potential 'splinternet'—a divided digital world filled with government checkpoints that block the free exchange of information and innovation.
America doesn't, and shouldn't, control its tech companies the way China does. But the White House can encourage and empower American tech experts to be more engaged in shaping global technology standards. When American engineers and delegates make strong proposals built on democratic values, they can effectively challenge dangerous Chinese alternatives.
The federal government and the U.S. tech sector can work together to take steps in this direction: Fund American engineers' involvement in standards organizations. Form coalitions with allies to share information and strategies. Promote industry-led forums such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, in which China's influence is reduced by transparency. Finally, stand firm on principles of security, human rights and interoperability between devices made by different manufacturers.
Technical standards matter in the struggle between open societies and authoritarian regimes. By re-engaging in standards development, America would send a clear message: We're back, not to dictate to the world but to ensure that free societies set the pace. It's up to the U.S. to define tomorrow's digital rules before China writes them for us.
Ms. Tews is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Mr. Hogg is director of tech policy at the Foundation for American Innovation.