The China National Institute of Standardization (known as the Institute of Standardization of the State Science and Technology Commission when set up in 1963) is directly subordinate to AQSIQ and SAC. As a national social service institution dedicated to standardization researches, it mainly addresses the global, strategic and comprehensive standardization issues in national economy and social development of China. 

Currently, CNIS has over 500 employees, including 30 research fellows and 73 doctor degree-holders and its researches mainly involve the standardization development strategy, basic theories, principles and approaches, and standards systems. Specifically, its work covers the standardization researches on energy conservation and emission reduction, quality management, international trade facilitation, vision health and safety protection, modern services, public safety, public management and government informationization, information classification and coding, ergonomics, and food sensory analysis; and the preparation and revision of related standards; the operation of the secretariats of the National Standardization Technical Committee and its sub-committees; the promotion and application of research and development results from standards-related experiments and tests; the appraisal of energy-efficiency labeling and customer satisfaction; the protection and technical support for geographical indication products; the construction of standards resources and the provision of social services; the operation of the national standards sharing service platform and the construction and application of the basic standardization scientific data resources. At the same time, CNIS are directly responsible to the administrative functions of AQSIQ and SAC, including recalls of defective products, technical reviews of national standards, and the industrial products and foodstuff manufacture license management. 

As a nonprofit institution at national level, CNIS is committed to actively participate in international standardization activities with 16 positions in the leadership of the international organizations including the vice president of the Organization for an International Geographical Indications Network (oriGIn) and the vice chairs and secretaries of the technical committees of ISO, and presiding over the development of 23 ISO standards.