China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
(OP)
This interesting article caught my eye.
I've no doubt many would like to believe it is true but is it too simplistic?
Does it ignore political factors?
Is the fear of the poor justified?
Despite the number of millionaires and billionaires in China today and the vast "middle class" the majority of people are still dirt poor. The fear is that they too will want their share of the wealth. Well paid jobs and the opportunity to own their own homes, cars and all that goes with it. The real fear is that they will not wait too long and that a peaceful transition over time is an unrealistic expectation. Why else has China had such a large army except as a protection against the masses? The trouble is that following Tienanmen Square protests the choice offered to the people of more economic freedom or more political freedom has resulted in a dangerous but expedient choice for some.
Noticable too that the Government is being more cautious with signs of dissent such as the village surrounded after the villagers protested about land being taken with no compensation.
Shanghai may have shopping malls filled with busy wealthy shoppers but China has also built cities where hardly anyone lives except maintenance people and a few inhabitants.
One gets the feeling that China has a tiger by the tail and isn't sure what to do but is praying things work out the way they need.
But maybe this view is also wildly off.
There are plenty of signs but what do they really portend?
Will whatever happens at last mean something good for other economies? Somehow I doubt there will be a happy ending for anyone.
I've no doubt many would like to believe it is true but is it too simplistic?
Does it ignore political factors?
Is the fear of the poor justified?
Despite the number of millionaires and billionaires in China today and the vast "middle class" the majority of people are still dirt poor. The fear is that they too will want their share of the wealth. Well paid jobs and the opportunity to own their own homes, cars and all that goes with it. The real fear is that they will not wait too long and that a peaceful transition over time is an unrealistic expectation. Why else has China had such a large army except as a protection against the masses? The trouble is that following Tienanmen Square protests the choice offered to the people of more economic freedom or more political freedom has resulted in a dangerous but expedient choice for some.
Noticable too that the Government is being more cautious with signs of dissent such as the village surrounded after the villagers protested about land being taken with no compensation.
Shanghai may have shopping malls filled with busy wealthy shoppers but China has also built cities where hardly anyone lives except maintenance people and a few inhabitants.
One gets the feeling that China has a tiger by the tail and isn't sure what to do but is praying things work out the way they need.
But maybe this view is also wildly off.
There are plenty of signs but what do they really portend?
Will whatever happens at last mean something good for other economies? Somehow I doubt there will be a happy ending for anyone.





RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
So what's in common between the two?
What's different between the two?
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
Personally I believe the solution is public displays of punishment. Which is why we are seeing more of it here, as well as China.
Have you seen the new executive prisens?
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
In the USA the major occurrence is contribution to campaign funds.
The poorer the country, the more likely it is that underpaid civil servants will earn the living via tips, just like waiters in the USA.
Different cultures and even different individuals vary on how they divide the grey areas differentiating corruption and gratitude or genuine support.
Having said that I agree that China has issues with meeting Western stds. re corruption and theft of IP. Of course Western stds very much protect the wealthy and the status quo. It is extremely difficult for foreigners to pursue a legal claim against a Chinese national in China. Chines ethics are very much about sharing foreign wealth more evenly with poor Chinese or supporting family by any means.
Regards
Pat
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RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
I think China has learned that western consumers are concerned with quality, and will react to poor quality.
I haven't seen that as much in South America. So you do see lower quality goods, and at a lower price than in the US.
So I believe China is learning the power of the consumer. The next lesson might be the power of the new Chinese consumers might want better quality from there goverment.
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
But are the Chinese really taking quality to heart?
Though not exclusively a Chinese problem, "Quality Fade" is a recognised phenomena.
It pursuit of markets costs are trimmed and then trimmed some more after winning contracts. There are some pretty alarming stories about how they get past tests.
This article is from back in 2007. Can they have turned it around so quickly?
A more recent article is here
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
The Chinese are turning it around very quickly, however like anywhere else they have a variety of qualities, depending on the individusals you are dealing with.
Regards
Pat
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RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
For a good insiders view of all this, I recommend Poorly Made In China by Paul Midler.
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
They started manufacturing "cheap" products which they basically copied from the USA.
Today, the have one of the highest standards of living.
We buy a lot of equipment from China - took us about 6 months to get it "right" - but it is as good or better than we were getting here or England or Germany - at exactly half the price. That was 10+ years ago - now the price has gone way up and we are looking back at US suppliers, etc. Also we don't have wait 12-16 weeks for delivery.
The Chinese want telephones, microwaves, cars, houses, etc and you don't do that on a $100 a week salary.
Look at Mexico - many (most) companies have pulled out of there - too much corruption, rising salaries, drug cartels, etc.
What goes around - comes around!!!
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
metalhead
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
Comprehension is not understanding. Understanding is not wisdom. And it is wisdom that gives us the ability to apply what we know, to our real world situations
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
The cars were the only thing that sprang to my mind.
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
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RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
Regards,
Mike
RE: China: is the worm about to turn? Or wishful thinking?
However, it is in our best interest to 'Let the buyer beware'.
In some ways China is acting like Japan before WWII. Sort of scary.