George Gu on China's Global Reach

Filed in archive Book review on April 27, 2006

While Americans listen to the debate in the U.S. Congress about how to isolate America by erecting trade and investment barriers with China, our global trading partner is fully embracing globalization. Dr. George Gu's book "China's Global Reach" arguably advances China's modernization and reforms. In sharp contrast to policy shapers adherence to reports by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Gu, an investment banker and business consultant, does not inject any gloomy forecasts about China's fast march into the world community.

China has indeed learned from America's or more specifically Silicon Valley's achievements in science and technology. The Middle Kingdom's national strategy for Research and development (R&D) has escalated more than 20 percent since 1995 with impressive results, in stark contrast to the 6 percent spent in the United States.

Gu writes " that this is a creative era for China. And one most unexpected outcome is the existence of a new manufacturing center, coming to life seemingly from nowhere."

Few observers can dispute the Chinese innovation in multinational firms like Huawei in telecommunications equipment, Lenovo's advances in computers, and the Haier Group in appliances and electronics, all based on a successful export-oriented strategy of brand-name recognition, and of course, a leading edge R&D program.

Maybe American manufacturing needs to simply renew its embrace of globalization with the same spirit of optimism and competitiveness now found along the ancient silk road in Xi'an.