China, by demonstrating a will of technological independence, based on a greater effort of R&D, allowed the emergence of national champions – such as ZTE and Huawei in telecoms. One of the best illustrations may be the photovoltaic industry, where the American, European and Japanese firms occupied almost all of the world market: today four on five of the biggest world operators are based in China, among which the leaders Yingli Solar and Trina Solar. These results show despite the loss of its market share that China remains firmly on course to become the world’s leading industrial power. Therefore, this industrial development of China will turn into new problems of management: the quality management.
Until recently, Chinese cars are crude machines, copy sometimes of western models, of extremely dubious reliability and safety. Numerous crash-tests made on these cars according to the Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) standards had revealed the unworthy safety levels for a modern car. Indeed, most of Chinese firms in China spend too much time thinking about “WHAT” they are making and not nearly enough time thinking about “HOW WELL” they will make it. These limits should not overshadow, like the Japanese companies in the 60s, then Korean and Taiwanese in the 80s, the inevitable rise in the range of its industrial production.
Richer, Chinese also wish to improve the quality of their products and turn to the western products. The Middle Kingdom companies are making important effort in improving quality in order to gain global competitiveness. In the medium term, their growth will become more inward-oriented and less dependent on exports. Chinese authorities are now well understood and shown this challenge through an agreed public policy which aims at moving from “workbench of the world” to “laboratory of the world”.
Besides, the China’s State Council issued recently a 6 -years plan (2016-2022) to improve the standards and quality of consumer goods. It goal is to “improve people’s livelihoods and develop Made-in-China products with supply-side structural reform, advance standards, upgrade the equipment manufacturing industry, and spur technology innovation” (the China’s State Council website). Nine sectors are addressed by the plan: 1 household appliances – 2 electronic products – 3 home furnishings – 4 garment and accessories – 5 products for women, children and disabled people – 6 cosmetics and household chemicals – 7 education, sports and entertainment products – 8 traditional cultural products –9 food.
Chinese occupied the first rank of top 10 countries for ISO 9001 certificates in 2014. According to State Council more efforts will be made to supervise quality, safety and risks of consumer goods “by cracking down on counterfeit products, constructing a quality credit system and encouraging people’s awareness of product quality and safety”.
