Pathways from Rule-Taking to Rule-Making: A Comparison of China and Korea’s Internationalization Strategies for Digital Standards

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Sarah Eaton
• Subject Area: Political Science
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 515038358

Demand from economic latecomers for greater say in global rule-making is a source of rising contention in global governance. This project studies particular pathways from rule-taking to rule-making as well as the implications of rising rule-makers for global order. While International Relations (IR) scholars have analyzed the intentions and behaviors of already risen powers, their back story is understudied, ie. how exactly did these countries make the transition from rule-taker to rule-maker? And what are the key factors that shape rising rule-makers’ reach and influence on the global stage? This project will comparatively study the pathways of two rising rule-makers, China and South Korea, in the arena of technical standardization. Spurred by booming tech sectors in East Asia, actors from both countries have assumed growing rule-making roles in the writing of technical standards for digital technologies in international Standard Development Organizations (SDOs) such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). While there are many commonalities between the two countries’ rise in technical standardization, there are also striking differences in how they have each been received by incumbents within standardization communities. Whereas Korean actors have been largely welcomed into existing standardization communities, the growing role of Chinese actors in digital standard-setting is now a highly contentious issue and a trans-Atlantic effort to counter China’s influence is currently developing. This research aims to both further scholarly debate about rising powers and also generate knowledge for a broader audience on a topic at the center of escalating conflict between China and Western countries. The guiding research questions are as follows:(1) How do rising rule-makers develop the regulatory strength to exert influence in international standardization? (2) What strategies do rising rule-makers with different bargaining power adopt to shape international standardization? (3) Regarding incumbent rule-makers responses, why are the demands of latecomers sometimes accommodated and other times contested? (4) What are the consequences for international standardization when rising rule-makers push for increased voice? The project will employ mixed methods combining insights from fieldwork, surveys and document analysis.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Canada, China, France, USA
• Co-Investigators: Professor Tim Büthe, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Doris Fischer; Professor Dr. Andreas Nölke; Professorin Dr. Sabrina Weithmann
• Cooperation Partners: Dr. Dieter Ernst; Professorin Dr. Juliette Genevaz; Professor Dr. Mark Raymond; Dr. John Seaman; Professor Dr. Ping Wang