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Chapter 227 International Standards
A month after the Geneva tests concluded, Zuo Cheng formally submitted three technical standard proposals to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO): a quantum computing interface standard, a brain-computer interface safety standard, and a satellite communication protocol standard. All three proposals were accompanied by the same supporting material: the raw data from the Geneva tests.
ISO's review process typically takes more than two years. However, Proposal 402 broke with convention during the initial review stage. The review committee, composed of experts from 23 countries worldwide, spent three weeks reviewing three drafts and reached a highly consistent conclusion, recommending expedited review.
The reason is straightforward. All the technical parameters in the three draft standards are supported by experimental data. The quantum computing standard includes a complete comparative record of the three Geneva races, with each frame independently verified and signed by a third party. The brain-computer interface safety standard includes a 30-page white paper from the Interstellar Neuro-Lab, listing quantitative indicators for everything from signal acquisition to ethical review. The satellite communication standard includes twelve months of real-time operational data from the Tianqiong constellation, with all twelve monitoring points across six continents publicly available.
One of the German review committee members wrote in his comments that this was not a proposal, but a standard that had been in use for a year.
Microsoft and Google urgently submitted their respective draft standards in an attempt to block this. Microsoft's quantum standard is based on a superconducting approach, while Google's brain-computer interface standard is based on an interventional approach. The two drafts combined exceed six hundred pages.
The technical committee conducted three rounds of cross-validation. The results were uncontroversial. Microsoft's quantum standard lacked practical data support for the 2,048-bit key test, and their quantum computer could not achieve that level of performance. Google's brain-computer interface standard lacked information on signal security encryption metrics, and its solution had not yet passed phase III clinical trials.
The review report's conclusion was brief. All three draft standards from 402 Technology passed the initial review and entered the expedited review process.
When the news reached China, a senior expert from the Standardization Institute of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology called Zuo Cheng. There was a long silence on the other end of the line, before he finally said, "I've worked on standards for thirty years, and this is the first time I've seen a Chinese technical solution become the benchmark for international standards."
The expedited review process lasted two months. ISO organized a vote among its 153 member countries. The voting process was not a simple yes or no; each country's technical committee had to score each technical parameter of the standard individually. A score of 80 or higher was considered a positive result out of 100.
Two months later, the results were announced. The quantum computing interface standard received 131 votes in favor, a approval rate of 85.6%. The brain-computer interface security standard received 124 votes in favor, a approval rate of 81%. The satellite communication protocol standard received 118 votes in favor, a approval rate of 77.1%. The average approval rate for all three was 78%, while Microsoft's alternative draft received less than 22% on average.
The afternoon Zuo Cheng received the official ISO approval, Han Lu rushed into his office and held up her phone in front of him. The first line of the approval document stated: "Official ISO international standard numbers have been assigned. Quantum computing interface standard, number ISO IEC 4321. Brain-computer interface safety standard, number ISO IEC 4322. Satellite communication protocol standard, number ISO IEC 4323. Three numbers, globally applicable."
Zuo Cheng looked at the approval document. From now on, any company in the world that wants to enter these three tracks must comply with the standards set by 402. Every interface, every security indicator, and every communication protocol is listed in these numbers.
"It's not about complying," Han Lu corrected him. "It's about applying for authorization from 402."
That afternoon, CCTV broadcast the news. The footage switched from the ISO headquarters to the 402 headquarters building in Hangzhou. For the first time, a Chinese company simultaneously led the development and adoption of three international technical standards. The right to set standards is the highest form of technological discourse power.
The top trending topic on Weibo became the unanimous approval of three ISO standards. The third trending topic was that the entire world would now have to pay patent fees to Section 402. Financial media outlets provided analysis overnight. One analyst aptly stated that the commercial value of these three standards is immeasurable. Any company wanting to enter these fields cannot bypass the Section 402 standard. Every quantum computer sold, every brain-computer interface surgery performed, and every communications satellite launched involves a component of Section 402.
Zuo Cheng didn't celebrate that night. Instead, he convened a two-hour meeting with his core team in the conference room. Four lines were written on the whiteboard: Standards are just the beginning. Implementation requires a testing and certification system, certification requires authorization and a charging mechanism, and after charging comes a continuous iterative upgrade path.
He connected the four lines with lines. Today's standards are the foundation. Next year, we'll submit standards for quantum cloud services; the year after, brain-computer interface data interaction; and the year after that, satellite internet access. This isn't a one-off victory, but a continuous effort to build a standards system. Our competitors can circumvent one standard, but they can't circumvent the entire system.
Chen Hao looked up. From today onwards, the rules of global technological competition have changed. Before, it was about who had the better technology; now it's about who has the strictest standards.
"Yes," Zuo Cheng said. "Whoever sets the standards is the rule-maker for the industry."
Fang Ze interjected. "Standards aren't the end goal, they're the weapons. They'll find a way to circumvent it."
"They can try." Zuo Cheng added a line at the bottom of the whiteboard: "Our standards didn't come out of thin air. Behind every clause are the Tianyan, Interstellar Nerve, and Tianqiong systems used by users worldwide. The standards are simply a written record of the actual technical facts. Bypassing the standards would mean replacing all these products. They can't replace them; the cost is too high."
Late that night, Zuo Cheng turned off all news notifications by himself. A new indicator appeared on the civilization perception interface of the system panel: Standard Setting Force. Europe was the darkest, followed by Asia, and the Americas were the lightest. The actual binding force of the standards was already in effect in Europe, in effect in Asia, and still only on paper in the Americas.
But that's not important. What's important is the last sentence on the first page of the three standard approvals: "This standard shall take effect from the date of its publication."
Zuo Cheng put the three approval documents into a folder. The night sky over Hangzhou outside the window was tinged with a pale orange by the city lights. The blue light from the quantum computing center shone through the glass and reflected on the river.
He picked up his phone and sent Yu Ying a message. The approval had been granted.
Three seconds later, Yu Ying replied, "I know." A second message immediately followed: "Reporters from all over the world are in Hangzhou; more than thirty interview vehicles are blocking the company entrance."
Scrolling down on the left, the third item is a screenshot. It's a Bloomberg news flash with a single-line headline: "Chinese companies have rewritten the fundamental rules of technological competition."
He looked at it for a long time, then replied: "Let them wait."
When will it be?
"When this is no longer news," Zuo Cheng said. "Standards aren't just news for a moment; they're something that works every single day from now on."