The Chinese standard for residual current circuit-breakers without overcurrent protection is the document against which these devices are certified for the Chinese market, and because such devices appear in the compulsory certification catalogue, the assessment it prescribes is a condition of lawful sale rather than a voluntary reference. The Chinese edition follows the international classification, the preferred ratings and the type test programme, but the certification system around it differs from the European one: approval is granted by a Chinese certification body, a factory inspection is carried out as part of the process, and the certificate must be renewed periodically, so that a device approved in Europe cannot simply be placed on the Chinese market on the strength of that approval. The standard is applied together with the separate Chinese standard for the electromagnetic compatibility of residual current devices, and both are cited in the specifications of Chinese switchgear manufacturers and of the network operators.