You correct about that, Ann. I think China spends too much time hiding behind the "We're just a developing country" point of view. The POV comes with a whole host of excuses for non-adult behavior.
The reason China is doing so well against the rest of the world is due to their middle class being much lower than the rest of the world. As they catch up Competition will depend on inventiveness. By that point they cannot pass the USA without carrying us along their own level otherwise Jobs will start moving to the US. Also Many say that china's growing economy is bad news for the world when in reality It's just good news for the whole world. Now another billion members of earth are capable of demanding more material goods from the world economy. I can only see this helping the world economy. The problem is not their middle class getting better. The issue is the way china disregards international agreements to benefit its own people. If china maintains a free market, and they protect IP then this recession will be short lived. Yes when a large nation like china enters the free market this is expected to happen. I wish this was controlled to a degree, but in the long run every one will benefit.
Conclusion is that their middleclass cannot surpass the middle class of US or Europe. Regardless of how much they try. The only way they can do this is through war. The free market dictates this.
Paumanok Publications, I agree that we should also be looking to find another source of supply rather than let our electronics industry be held hostage. But meanwhile, I think we should also be using the process that's been set up to deal with such disputes such as this one. What's the point of entering into a trading agreement if you don't plan to keep to the terms of the contract?
ervin0072002, I'm not sure what you mean by an EU/US "larger market share." Of what? Whatever it is, it probably won't be larger for long. China either has or is acquiring/growing the largest markets in many areas: automobiles, oil, you name it. In fact, PetroChina just announced that it's become the world's biggest publicly traded oil producer, ahead of Exxon:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17556938. The population statistics driving China's growth and appetite for materials and control of resources show that China's middle class is growing rapidly and the US's is declining rapidly, since class is determined by jobs, and we've shipped those jobs over there. Estimates vary, but one says that by 2030 China's middle class will be 4x that of the US and nearly 4x of Europe's. That's only 18 years away. Meanwhile the US and Europe have aging populations overall, not just considering the size and characteristics of their middle classes.
Withholding shipments after a fishing dispute is a good example of the have my cake and eat it too attitude China has shown in several international situations. This is not a cooperative spirit, or the attitude of an adult negotiating with other adults. The WTO rules and conventions China had agreed to did not change--China's decision to comply with them changed. Yet they want to be taken seriously and treated with respect in the international arena.
It would be great to come up with an alternative. Right now though, it looks like China has found something that allows them some leverage over other industrial nations.
China has been waging a trade war against us for decades and we have been to timid and/or stupid to do anything about it. Running to the WTO begging for help is for babies. Real sovereign nations don't ask anyone's permission to defend themselves.
The very best choice would be to come up with an alternative to the rare earth elments so that we did not need them. I realize that would be a challenge but it would also probably lead to cost reductions, and a way to be less dependant on those countries that choose to take advantage of us. Then they can eat their precious metals and other rare earths. That would be the very best solution.
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
Researchers at MIT and Sandia National Labs have observed a reaction in lithium-air batteries that could help improve the design of these cells for electric vehicles and other applications.
Healthcare might seem to be an unlikely target application for the Internet of Things technology, but recent developments show small ways that big-data is going to make an impact on patient care moving into the future.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.