There is a growing consensus among the media and government that China needs compulsory national standards in a variety of industries, according to reports released on the Consumer Day, which is marked each year on March 15.

The auto industry in particular has garnered a great deal of attention in the past few weeks.

First came media reports about Volkswagen's defective direct-shift gear transmission systems. Then it was reported that auto brands BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz cut costs in their locally produced vehicles by using a potentially toxic agent called bitumen to make pads that reduce noise, vibration and harshness.