A global industrial revolution integrating industrialization and intelligentization is currently underway. To keep pace with this transformation, China proposed the "Made in China 2025" strategic plan at the 12th National People's Congress. This plan aims to promote the integration of industrialization and informatization, propelling China from a "manufacturing giant" to a "manufacturing powerhouse."
The Past of China's Manufacturing Industry
China once transitioned from a major agricultural country to an industrial power, largely thanks to its manufacturing sector. However, the current state of China's manufacturing industry is characterized by being large but not strong, as evidenced by the following:
First, a lack of creativity. The past glory of China's manufacturing industry relied primarily on imitating, learning from, and importing foreign production technologies and business models. This has resulted in a high dependence of Chinese industrial enterprises, stable but low profit preferences, and insufficient innovation capacity. Consequently, this has also led to a shortage of industrial research talent and weak innovation capabilities in China.
Second, a lack of core technologies. China ranks among the world's top producers of manufactured goods, yet key industrial products still rely on imports. Although China is a major producer of computers, steel, and automobiles, it still needs to import chips, specialty steel, and engines.
Third, insufficient attention to social responsibility. During its development, China's manufacturing industry has neglected environmental carrying capacity, resulting in high energy consumption and heavy pollution. To reduce operational costs, it has overlooked social responsibilities.
How Can Chinese Industry Become Stronger and More Competitive?
In response to the current state of China's industry, the "Made in China 2025" plan was formulated, outlining three pathways for the further development of China's industrial manufacturing sector.
The first is to develop "Laboratory+".
To fundamentally change China's weak creativity, efforts should start with research and development. This involves cultivating emerging industries and seizing the high ground of industrial development. Priority should be given to fields with intensive original technologies, such as new energy, new materials, biotechnology, and aerospace. These industries serve as the source for other sectors and form the foundation of a nation's industrial development. Whoever seizes the high ground will own the future.
The second is to develop "Internet+".
The Internet has transformed people's world and spawned numerous new technologies, industries, business models, and formats. It has lowered the barriers to information access and innovation, shifting innovation from being the domain of elites to mass creation. For instance, the innovations of Alibaba and JD.com have created tens of thousands of entrepreneurial opportunities. They have fully leveraged China's large population and new market environment advantages, effectively igniting entrepreneurial enthusiasm and bringing boundless vitality to society and industries.
The third is to develop "Robot+".
The advent of industrial robots is highly beneficial given the rising labor costs in China. China's traditional manufacturing industry has entered the stage of replacing manual labor with machines. Using machines to substitute for human labor not only reduces enterprises' labor costs but also enhances production efficiency. Moreover, as machines have a relatively fast upgrade cycle, it is possible to pursue continuous updates and improvements. This not only makes the transformation of manufacturing less burdensome but also enables China to regain a competitive edge in traditional manufacturing.
