TheU.S.,forinstance,launchedtheAdvancedManufacturingPartnership(AMP)in2011,withtheaimofsustainingitsleadershipinadvancedmanufacturing.Itlatervowedtoreindustrializethecountryandbringbackmanufacturingjobs.Similarly,GermanymadetheHigh-TechStrategy2020,theU.K.startedtheForesightProject,JapanrolledoutplansforthedevelopmentoftheInternetofThingsandrobotics,FranceworkedouttheIndustryoftheFutureinitiative,andtheRepublicofKoreadrewaplantoboostthemomentumoffuturegrowth.Theyallaimtopreparedomesticmanufacturersforthefuturetoseekgreaterdevelopment.
China鈥檚manufacturingsectoristheworld鈥檚largestinsize,butlagsfarbehindthatofdevelopedindustrializedcountriesintermsofperformance,efficiency,quality,industrialstructure,energyconsumptionrate,andsustainabledevelopmentcapacity.ItisimperativeforChinatochangecoursefromincreasingsizeandgrowthratetoimprovingqualityandperformance,andshiftingfromhigh-speedtohigh-qualitydevelopment.OnlybydoingsowillChinesemanufacturingachievesustainabledevelopment,continuetobethecenterpieceofthenationaleconomy,andsecureapositioninglobalmanufacturingcommensuratewithChina鈥檚internationalstatus.
DirectionandFoundation
In2013,theChineseAcademyofEngineeringsponsoredastudyformorethan100academiciansandexpertsontheglobaltrendofmanufacturingdevelopment,relevantstrategiesandmeasuresindevelopedindustrializedcountries,existingproblemsinChinesemanufacturing,andimpactsofmajortechnicaladvances.Basedonthisresearch,theChinesegovernmentreleasedtheMadeinChina2025planinMay2015.
Byimplementingthisplan,Chinaexpectstoachievethefollowinggoalsin30years:cutenergyconsumption,increaseproductivity,mitigateimpactsontheenvironment,enhancetechnicalinnovationcapacity,optimizeindustrialstructure,improveproductionorganization,acceleratetheintegrationofinformationizationandindustrialization,andexpandinternationalcooperation.Withprogressinalltheseaspects,Chinawilltransformandupgradeitsmanufacturingindustry,boostitscompetitiveness,andbecomeaworld-leadingmanufacturer.
Torealizethesegoals,Chinalaunchedfiveprojects鈥搉amelybuildingmanufacturinginnovationcenters,smartmanufacturing,greenmanufacturing,buildingarobustindustrialfoundation,andinnovationsinhigh-endequipmentmanufacturing,aswellastwocampaignstoimprovequalityandservicesrespectively.Italsomadedevelopmentplansforprofessionalsinthemanufacturingsectorsanddevelopmentgoalsforinformationtechnology,newmaterials,andpharmaceuticalsectors.
UndertheMadeinChina2025plan,thedevelopmentofChinesemanufacturingwillbespearheadedbyinnovation,basedonastrongindustrialfoundationandgoodquality,andfocusonsmartmanufacturing,greenmanufacturing,andservice-orientedmanufacturing.ThisroadmaprevealsthatChinesemanufacturingwilltackleitsproblemsheadonandmakeprogressonmultiplefrontsinasystematicmanner.Thefinalgoalistoupgradethesectorasawhole,andboldlyleapforwardintothefourthindustrialrevolution.TheMadeinChina2025planembodiesPresidentXiJinping鈥檚visionofinnovative,coordinated,green,andopendevelopmentthatisforeveryone,andisakeymovetobuildupthesupplycapacityofChinesemanufacturing.Forthesuccessofthisplan,wemustpayparticularattentiontothefollowingfourissues.First,wemustcontinuetodeepenreformsinallareas,ignitethevigorofbusinessesthroughinstitutionalinnovations,anddevelopproductiveforces.Second,wemustenablethemarkettoplaythedecisiveroleinresourceallocation,givebetterplaytotheroleofgovernment,andcreateagoodbusinessenvironmenttoencourageinnovationandentrepreneurship.Third,wemustfurtherimproveourinnovationcapacity,fuelingindustrialdevelopmentwithinnovationandreplacingoldgrowthdriverswithnewones.Fourth,wemustopenwidertotheworld,andconductfairandwin-wininternationalcooperation,boostingChinesemanufacturing鈥檚internationalcompetitivenessandmeanwhilecontributingtotheevolutionofglobalmanufacturing.
AccordingtotheMadeinChina2025plan,Chinawillmakethemarketplaythedominantroleinanopenenvironment,andgalvanizethevigorandardorofmanufacturers.Itwillalsobetterprotectintellectualpropertyrightsthroughbroaddomesticandinternationalcooperation,andincreasetheinnovationandsupplycapacitiesofitsmanufacturingsector.
SmartandGreenProductionontheRise
Implementedforthreeyears,theMadeinChina2025planhasdeliveredearlyresults.TheawarenessoftheimportanceofmanufacturingtonationaleconomyhasincreasedineverysectorandeverypartofChina,andencouragingprogresshasbeenmadeinsmartandgreenproduction.What鈥檚more,innovativeabilityhasbeenimproved,industrialtransformationandupgradingandshiftsingrowthdrivershavebeenaccelerated,leadingtonotableincreaseintheinnovationandsupplycapacitiesofcertainindustries.
Since2012Chinahasmoveduponmajorindicesofmanufacturingstrength.Theyincludethenumberofinternationalpatentsperunitaddedvalueofmanufacturing,R&Dinvestment,theshareofresearchersamongpeopleemployedbymanufactur-ing,laborproductivity,salesmargin,andtheICT(informationandcommunicationtechnologies)DevelopmentIndex.In2015,China鈥檚intensityofR&Dinputformanufacturingreached2.01percent,forthefirsttimeexceedingtwopercentinfiveyears.
Theenterprisesenlistedinthetrialsmartproductionprogramhaveincreasedtheirproductionefficiencyby20percent,andloweredoperationalcosts,productiondevelopmentcycles,defectiveproductrates,andenergyconsumptionby20percent,30percent,20percentand10percentrespectively.Theyhavecometotheforefrontofthefourthindustrialrevolution,andofferedinspirationfortheirpeersstillatthepreviousstages.
BusinessesofallownershipsinChina鈥搒tateowned,privateorforeign-funded鈥揾aveparticipatedintheMadeinChina2025plan,andbenefitedfromit.ManyforeigncompaniesoperatinginChinahaveseenmarkedgrowthintheirautomationbusiness,andforeignbrandsofequipmentforsmartmanufacturinghaveexpandedpresenceintheChinesemarket.Taketheexampleofindustrialrobots:in2016,42,963multi-jointrobotsand9,553SCARArobotsweresoldinChina,markingayear-on-yearincreaseof25.2percentand51.9percentrespectively.TheirrespectivesharesintheChinesemarketstoodat78.5percentand88.7percent.OnApril23,2018,atthefirstDigitalChinaSummit,manyspeakerstalkaboutMadeinChina2025.
AToughRoadAhead
Tobehonest,Chinesemanufacturingasawholehasnotweaneditselffromtheoldmodelofsizedependentgrowth,andthetransitionfromquantityincreasetoqualityimprovementisnotsmooth.Comparedwiththeworld鈥檚leadingmanufacturingcountries,suchastheU.S.,GermanyandJapan,Chinastillneedstodoalottoimproveintermsofqualityandefficiency,structuraloptimizationandsustainabledevelopment.Inlightofthis,China鈥檚manufacturingsectorshouldfocusonimprovingitsqualityandefficiencyinthecomingyears.
TheimplementationofMadeinChina2025planhasyieldedtangibleresults,thankstostrenuouseffortsbyChinesemanufacturerswiththesupportofallpartiesconcerned.Itssuccessistheoutcomeofembracingthefourthindustrialrevolutionandnewtechnologies,innovationoveralongperiodoftime,aswellaswin-wincooperationonequalfootingbetweenChineseandinternationalcompaniesinanopenenvironment.
TheplansetsthedirectionandgoalsofthedevelopmentofChinesemanufacturing,andprovidesmoreopportunitiesforexchangesandcooperationbetweenmanufacturersworldwidethatwillleadtoprogressforall.ChinesemanufacturershavecarriedoutextensiveanddiversifiedcontactswiththeircounterpartsinGermany,Japan,theU.S.andU.K.overpastyears.ProgramsundertheMadeinChina2025planandthecampaigntotransformandupgradeChinesemanufacturinghaveofferedandwillcontinuetoofferbusinessopportunitiesandmarketforforeignmanufacturers.AstheimplementationoftheMadeinChina2025planproceeds,China鈥檚exchangesandcooperationwithadvancedmanufacturingcountriesareexpectedtobecomemorevibrantandfruitful,allowingthemtolearnfromeachotherandreapmutualbenefitsintheprocess.
CertainforeignorganizationsmadebiasedconjecturesabouttheMadeinChina2025plan,employingflawedlogic,unjustifiedreasoning,anddoublestandards.ThefindingsreportoftheSection301investigationbytheUnitedStatesTradeRepresentative(USTR)includesalargesegmentontheplan,butmakesinferencesaboutitthatiscontrarytothefacts.Basedonthereport,theU.S.proposed25percenttariffson1,300Chinesegoods,includingthoseofaviation,space,communications,andmachinery.Thoughthismovewillaffecttheconcernedproducts鈥檆ompetitivenessontheU.S.market,andinflictfinancialdamageontheirproducers,China鈥檚countermeasureswillalsodeliverablowtocertainAmericanindustries.
TheMadeinChina2025planwillsharpenChinesemanufacturing鈥檚internationalcompetitiveedge.Byembracingtheopportunitiesandchallengesbroughtaboutbythefourthindustrialrevolutionandcapitalizingontechnicaladvancesmadeinthecourse,Chinesemanufacturingwillaccelerateitstransformationandshifttonewgrowthdrivers,furtherenhanceitsinnovativeandsupplycapacities,andmarchsteadfastlytowardsChina鈥檚goalofbecomingaleadingmanufacturingcountryinspiteofallhurdles.C
ZHUSENDIishonorarydirectoroftheexpertpanelofChinaMachineryIndustryFederation.