China's "Electronic Label" Breaks Through and Wins International Voice

In the field of international logistics and internet of things, the Chinese have always been game participants and have never been rule makers. This history has now been ended - "ISO18186: Cargo Containers - RFID Cargo Tag System" led by Bao Qifan has officially become an international standard a few days ago, and the world finally began to listen to the "China Voice."

However, what is little known is that when the Chinese representative submitted the proposal to the International Organization for Standardization for the first time two years ago, he was ruthlessly rejected. From the initial impeachment to becoming an international standard, how did China's "electronic labeling" break out and win the right to speak?

"Innovation requires vision and courage."

At the end of the 1990s, Bao Qifan was the person in charge of the Longwu Ferry Terminal at Shanghai Port. Looking at the familiar dock every day, there was a block of “heart disease” that made him hard for food: “The Longwu Port at that time was mainly engaged in domestic trade container transportation. Compared to import and export goods, the conditions of security and security were limited. The boxes on the dock were often Stealing makes us miserable."

In the supermarket, the old bag saw the salesperson brushing the bar code of the goods, and an inspiration came into being: Can the electronic tag technology be applied to the field of container transport, and the container has an “electronic eye”, and it is not afraid of the bad guys. However, many people did not understand when this idea was told to associate neighboring colleagues: “The container is tall and big. How can we stick the barcode? This is something that we cannot do.” Ten years later, electronic tag technology proved to be mature. of. After continuous research and development and innovation, today's container electronic tags look like a small square box from the outside. When packing, they use a mobile read-write device to write container information, cargo information, and logistics information into the box. When containers pass through port crossings and dock cranes, the information is automatically read and displayed on a dedicated website. Shippers, shipping companies, port authorities, and government regulators can all access the Internet. If the container is opened illegally during transit, the web page will immediately report an alarm. With the help of the global network environment, real-time online monitoring of container logistics has finally been realized.

“Looking back at the disputes of the past, I believe that independent innovation must have a far-sighted vision and take a higher step. After seeing development in 5 years or 10 years, it will not be led by the objective. Innovation and courage It is even more important.” Bao Qifan admitted frankly that he had also shaken that year. Just as five years ago, when he proposed to apply the Chinese container electronic tag technology to international standards, some people expressed doubts. “They said that I can’t even speak English. How can I lead foreign experts to set standards? At the beginning, I would like to retreat, but I can't be reconciled. We have developed the best technology and why we can’t turn independent innovation into results. The international discourse right? The opportunity for innovation and transformation will be fleeting. We cannot allow ourselves to look forward to the future and we will look for it!”

Facts have proved that international standards are not unattainable.

"Failure is the best grindstone for innovators"

First-rate companies do standards, second-rate companies do brand, third-rate companies do products. Only by mastering the standard setting can we grasp the right to speak in the industry.

The International Organization for Standardization is a very rigorous organization. There are quite complicated procedures and requirements for the formulation of an international standard. More importantly, each international standards development committee has a large number of senior experts in the field, representing their own interests. In discussions, all parties have the power to check and balance each other. This is like a heavy juncture for China, which has never set international standards in the field of transportation.

In June 2008, the proposal drafted by Shanghai Port was submitted to the International Organization for Standardization on behalf of China after review by the National Standardization Administration. According to regulations, the formulation of international standards requires the agreement of half of the member countries of the International Standards Development Committee, and more than five countries are willing to participate in standard setting.

When the poll results were announced in September of that year, more than half of the countries agreed to the China proposal, but only two countries were willing to participate together. The first proposal failed.

Bao Qifan still vividly remembers the pride of foreign experts. “The meeting was nearly over, so that we came to the stage to introduce the proposal. As a result, many experts did not listen carefully. They certainly treated us as a 'rookie' and thought that it would be sufficient for us to listen to their speeches.” Without giving up, they decided to use facts to persuade foreigners.

In December 2008, Bao Qifan invited all the committee's experts to Shanghai and spent a few days with them to the Waigaoqiao Terminal to experience the actual use of electronic tags. This trick is really effective. Looking at a container that was only "insurance", many foreign experts began to seriously consider the Chinese proposal.

In February 2009, after additions and amendments, China submitted a new proposal. This time, the International Standards Organization reopened the "vote window" and asked all members to vote on China's new proposal for a three-month period. May 10 that year, the voting results were announced, 14 countries, including China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain, Denmark, agreed to the proposal, which France, Germany, the United States and 8 countries also expressed their willingness to participate, together with China The formulation of standards. From May 27 to 29, at the 17th working group meeting held in Paris, France, the international standards proposal put forward by China was passed. The meeting also appointed Bao Qifan to be responsible for drafting the standard.

A door finally opened to Chinese innovators. “I have engaged in the invention work for 30 years. There is a deep feeling in my experience that the harder the job is, the more fruitful the harvest is. The innovation is always a negation and breakthrough of the past. It is normal to encounter difficulties and setbacks, and it fails. It is the best sharpening stone for innovators." Bao Qifan said.

"Innovation requires a strategic approach"

To be successful in independent innovation, it is not sufficient to do it blindly. There must be strategies and methods.

"Remembering to submit our draft to the Committee for the first time was criticized by foreign experts. Almost every foreigner had opinions and asked for amendments." Jiang Xia, who was involved in electronic tag development, recalled the drafting phase of the draft.

In fact, this is just a microcosm of the power game.

Some foreigners want to use "dragging" words to delay the pace of the Chinese people to come up with international standards. How to do? To be rigorous and rigorous, to be serious and serious, and to use his people's methods to cure his people, this is a method that Bao Qifan has come up with. Since the first meeting, Bao Qifan has strictly followed the agenda of each meeting and asked all experts to determine the amendments to the international standards on the spot. Otherwise, the meeting will not be over for longer. In the beginning, the foreigners were also very interested in entangling with the Chinese side and raising some irrelevant issues. They had always said that they were dry mouth, but they found that the Chinese representatives still had a lot of patience to discuss, and that a pair of people who did not reach an unanimous agreement never gave up. Over time, some foreign experts could not hold on, and more experts were impressed by the sincerity of the Chinese side. Drafting work finally entered the fast lane.

"Developing standards is both a battle, but also the blending process, which is our aim." Bao Qifan said that to win the support of the majority of foreign experts, the development process in place some of the minutiae of the standard, he is "open one Eyes closed one eye, "For example, the standard logo, English expression, etc., have adopted the views of foreign experts, and for the core content, especially those involving China's interests are not allowed to move. Finally, the entire international standard is retained intact. The key technology invented by the Chinese has become a veritable 'Chinese intellectual creation.'"

The process of formulating traditional international standards is very long. It takes 3 to 6 years for an international standard to be proposed from the new proposal to the standard release. This time, China’s electronic labeling became an international norm in just three months and became a formal international standard after one year. Seeing this result, Mr. Xia Naike, vice president of US Transcore company, exclaimed: This speed is almost impossible in the ISO process, and the wisdom of Chinese experts is amazing!