the.world.is.flat-第24章

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you　and　then　reintegrating　their　work　back　into　your　overall　operation。　Offshoring；　
by　contrast；　is　when　a　company　takes　one　of　its　factories　that　it　is　operating　in　
Canton；　Ohio；　and　moves　the　whole　factory　offshore　to　Canton；　China。　There；　it　
produces　the　very　same　product　in　the　very　same　way；　only　with　cheaper　labor；　lower　
taxes；　
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subsidized　energy；　and　lower　health…care　costs。　Just　as　Y2K　took　India　and　the　world　
to　a　whole　new　level　of　outsourcing；　China's　joining　the　WTO　took　Beijing　and　the　
world　to　a　whole　new　level　of　offshoring…with　more　companies　shifting　production　
offshore　and　then　integrating　it　into　their　global　supply　chains。　
In　1977；　Chinese　leader　Deng　Xiaoping　put　China　on　the　road　to　capitalism；　declaring　
later　that　〃to　get　rich　is　glorious。〃　When　China　first　opened　its　tightly　closed　
economy；　companies　in　industrialized　countries　saw　it　as　an　incredible　new　market　
for　exports。　Every　Western　or　Asian　manufacturer　dreamed　of　selling　its　equivalent　
of　1　billion　pairs　of　underwear　to　a　single　market。　Some　foreign　companies　set　up　
shop　in　China　to　do　just　that。　But　because　China　was　not　subject　to　world　trade　rules；　
it　was　able　to　restrict　the　penetration　into　its　market　by　these　Western　companies　
through　various　trade　and　investment　barriers。　And　when　it　was　not　doing　that　
deliberately；　the　sheer　bureaucratic　and　cultural　difficulties　of　doing　business　in　
China　had　the　same　effect。　Many　of　the　pioneer　investors　in　China　lost　their　shirts　
and　pants　and　underwear…　and　with　China's　Wild　West　legal　system　there　was　not　much　
recourse。　
Beginning　in　the　1980s；　many　investors；　particularly　overseas　Chinese　who　knew　how　
to　operate　in　China；　started　to　say；　〃Well；　if　we　can't　sell　that　many　things　to　the　
Chinese　right　now；　why　don't　we　use　China's　disciplined　labor　pool　to　make　things　
there　and　sell　them　abroad？〃　This　dovetailed　with　the　interests　of　China's　leaders。　
China　wanted　to　attract　foreign　manufacturers　and　their　technologies…not　simply　to　
manufacture　1　billion　pairs　of　underwear　for　sale　in　China　but　to　use　low…wage　Chinese　
labor　to　also　sell　6　billion　pairs　of　underwear　to　everyone　else　in　the　world；　and　
at　prices　that　were　a　fraction　of　what　the　underwear　companies　in　Europe　or　America　
or　even　Mexico　were　charging。　
Once　that　offshoring　process　began　in　a　range　of　industries…from　textiles　to　consumer　
electronics　to　furniture　to　eyeglass　frames　toauto　parts…the　only　way　other　companies　
could　compete　was　by　offshoring　to　China　as　well　（taking　advantage　of　its　low…cost；　
high…quality　platform）；　or　by　looking　for　alternative　manufacturing　centers　in　
Eastern　Europe；　the　Caribbean；　or　somewhere　else　in　the　developing　world。　
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By　joining　the　World　Trade　Organization　in　2001；　China　assured　foreign　companies　that　
if　they　shifted　factories　offshore　to　China；　they　would　be　protected　by　international　
law　and　standard　business　practices。　This　greatly　enhanced　China's　attractiveness　
as　a　manufacturing　platform。　Under　WTO　rules；　Beijing　agreed…with　some　time　for　
phase…in…to　treat　non…Chinese　citizens　or　firms　as　if　they　were　Chinese　in　terms　of　
their　economic　rights　and　obligations　under　Chinese　law。　This　meant　that　foreign　


companies　could　sell　virtually　anything　anywhere　in　China。　WTO　membership　status　also　
meant　that　Beijing　agreed　to　treat　all　WTO　member　nations　equally；　meaning　that　the　
same　tariffs　and　the　same　regulations　had　to　apply　equally　for　everyone。　And　it　agreed　
to　submit　itself　to　international　arbitration　in　the　event　of　a　trade　dispute　with　
another　country　or　a　foreign　company。　At　the　same　time；　government　bureaucrats　became　
more　customer…friendly；　procedures　for　investments　were　streamlined；　and　Web　sites　
proliferated　in　different　ministries　to　help　foreigners　navigate　China's　business　
regulations。　I　don't　know　how　many　Chinese　actually　ever　bought　a　copy　of　Mao's　Little　
Red　Book；　but　U。S。　embassy　officials　in　China　told　me　that　2　million　copies　of　the　
Chinese…language　edition　of　the　WTO　rule　book　were　sold　in　the　weeks　immediately　after　
China　signed　on　to　the　WTO。　To　put　it　another　way；　China　under　Mao　was　closed　and　
isolated　from　the　other　flattening　forces　of　his　day；　and　as　a　result　Mao　was　really　
a　challenge　only　to　his　own　people。　Deng　Xiaoping　made　China　open　to　absorbing　many　
of　the　ten　flatteners；　and；　in　so　doing；　made　China　a　challenge　to　the　whole　world。　
Before　China　signed　on　to　the　WTO；　there　was　a　sense　that；　while　China　had　opened　
up　to　get　the　advantages　of　trade　with　the　West；　the　government　and　the　banks　would　
protect　Chinese　businesses　from　any　crushing　foreign　competition；　saidJack　Perkowski　
of　ASIMCO。　〃China's　entry　into　the　WTO　was　a　signal　to　the　community　outside　of　China　
that　it　was　now　on　the　capitalist　track　for　good；〃　he　added。　〃Before；　you　had　the　
thought　in　the　back　of　your　mind　that　there　could　be　a　turning　back　to　state　communism。　
With　WTO；　China　said；　'We　are　on　one　course。'〃　
Because　China　can　amass　so　many　low…wage　workers　at　the　unskilled；　semiskilled；　and　
skilled　levels；　because　it　has　such　a　voracious　appetite　for　factory；　equipment；　and　
knowledge　jobs　to　keep　its　people　

employed；　and　because　it　has　such　a　massive　and　burgeoning　consumer　market；　it　has　
become　an　unparalleled　zone　for　offshoring。　China　has　more　than　160　cities　with　a　
population　of　1　million　or　more。　You　can　go　to　towns　on　the　east　coast　of　China　today　
that　you　have　never　heard　of　and　discover　that　this　one　town　manufacturers　most　of　
the　eyeglass　frames　in　the　world；　while　the　town　next　door　manufacturers　most　of　the　
portable　cigarette　lighters　in　the　world；　and　the　one　next　to　that　is　doing　most　of　
the　computer　screens　for　Dell；　and　another　is　specializing　in　mobile　phones。　Kenichi　
Ohmae；　the　Japanese　business　consultant；　estimates　in　his　book　The　United　States　of　
China　that　in　the　Zhu　Jiang　Delta　area　alone；　north　of　Hong　Kong；　there　are　fifty　
thousand　Chinese　electronics　component　suppliers。　
〃China　is　a　threat；　China　is　a　customer；　and　China　is　an　opportunity；〃　Ohmae　remarked　
to　me　one　day　in　Tokyo。　〃You　have　to　internalize　China　to　succeed。　You　cannot　ignore　
it。〃　Instead　of　competing　with　China　as　an　enemy；　argues　Ohmae；　you　break　down　your　
business　and　think　about　which　part　of　the　business　you　would　like　to　do　in　China；　
which　part　you　would　like　to　sell　to　China；　and　which　part　you　want　to　buy　from　China。　
Here　we　get　to　the　real　flattening　aspect　of　China's　opening　to　the　world　market。　
The　more　attractive　China　makes　itself　as　a　base　for　off…shoring；　the　more　attractive　
other　developed　and　developing　countries　competing　with　it；　like　Malaysia；　Thailand；　
Ireland；　Mexico；　Brazil；　and　Vietnam；　have　to　make　themselves。　They　all　look　at　what　


is　going　on　in　China　and　the　jobs　moving　there　and　say　to　themselves；　〃Holy　catfish；　
we　had　better　start　offering　these　same　incentives。〃　This　has　created　a　process　of　
competitive　flattening；　in　which　countries　scramble　to　see　who　can　give　companies　
the　best　tax　breaks；　education　incentives；　and　subsidies；　on　top　of　their　cheap　labor；　
to　encourage　offshoring　to　their　shores。　
Ohio　State　University　business　professor　Oded　Shenkar；　author　of　the　book　The　Chinese　
Century；　told　BusinessWeek　（December　6；　2004）　that　he　gives　it　to　American　companies　
straight：　〃If　you　still　make　anything　labor　intensive；　get　out　now　rather　than　bleed　
to　death。　Shaving　5％　here　and　there　won't　work。〃　Chinese　producers　can　make　the　same　
adjustments。　〃You　need　an　entirely　new　business　model　to　compete；〃　he　said。　
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China's　flattening　power　is　also　fueled　by　the　fact　that　it　is　developing　a　huge　
domestic　market　of　its　own。　The　same　BusinessWeek　article　noted　that　this　brings　
economies　of　scale；　intense　local　rivalries　that　keep　prices　low；　an　army　of　engineers　
that　is　growing　by　350；000　annually；　young　workers　and　managers　willing　to　put　in　
twelve…hour　days；　an　unparalleled　component　base　in　electronics　and　light　industry；　
〃and　an　entrepreneurial　zeal　to　do　whatever　it　takes　to　please　big　retailers　such　
as　Wal…Mart　Stores；　Target；　Best　Buy　and　J。C。　Penney。〃　
Critics　of　China's　business　practices　say　that　its　size　and　economic　power　mean　that　
it　will　soon　be　setting　the　global　floor　not　only　for　low　wages　but　also　for　lax　labor　
laws　and　workplace　standards。　This　is　known　in　the　business　as　〃the　China　price。〃　
But　what　is　really　scary　is　that　China　is　not　attracting　so　much　global　investment　
by　simply　racing　everyone　to　the　bottom。　That　is　just　a　short…term　strategy。　The　
biggest　mistake　any　business　can　make　when　it　comes　to　China　is　thinking　that　it　is　
only　winning　on　wages　and　not　improving　quality　and　productivity。　In　the　private；　
non…state…owned　sector　of　Chinese　industry；　productivity　increased　17　percent　
annually…I　repeat；　17　percent　annually…between　1995　and　2002；　according　to　a　study　
by　the　U。S。　Conference　Board。　This　is　due　to　China's　absorption　of　both　new　
technologies　and　modern　business　practices；　starting　from　a　very　low　base。　
Incidentally；　the　Conference　Board　study　noted；　China　lost　15　million　manufacturing　
jobs　during　this　period；　compared　with　2　million　in　the　United　States。　〃As　its　
manufacturing　productivity　accelerates；　China　is　losing　jobs　in　manufacturing…many　
more　than　the　United　States　is…and　gaining　them　in　services；　a　pattern　that　has　been　
playing　out　in　the　developed　world　for　many　years；〃　the　study　said。　
China's　real　long…term　strategy　is　to　outrace　America　and　the　E。U。　countries　to　the　
top；　and　the　Chinese　are　off　to　a　good　start。　China's　leaders　are　much　more　focused　
than　many　of　their　Western　counterparts　on　how　to　train　their　young　people　in　the　
math；　science；　and　computer　skills　required　for　success　in　the　flat　world；　how　to　
build　a　physical　and　telecom　infrastructure　that　will　allow　Chinese　people　to　plug　
and　play　faster　
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and　easier　than　others；　and　how　to　create　incentives　that　will　attract　global　
investors。　What　China's　leaders　really　want　is　the　next　generation　of　underwear　or　
airplane　wings　to　be　designed　in　China　as　well。　That　is　where　things　are　heading　in　


another　decade。　So　in　thirty　years　we　will　have　gone　from　〃sold　in　China〃　to　〃made　
in　China〃to　〃designed　in　China〃　to　〃dreamed　upin　China〃…or　from　China　as　collaborator　
with　the　worldwide　manufacturers　on　nothing　to　China　as　a　low…cost；　high…quality；　
hyperefficient　collaborator　with　worldwide　manufacturers　on　everything。　This　should　
allow　China　to　maintain　its　role　as　a　major　flattening　force；　provided　that　political　
instability　does　not　disrupt　the　process。　Indeed；　while　researching　this　chapter；　
I　came　across　an　online　Silicon　Valley　newsletter　called　the　Inquirer；　which　follows　
the　semiconductor　industry。　What　caught　my　eye　was　its　November　5；　2001；　article　
headlined；　〃China　to　Become　Center　of　Everything。〃　It　quoted　a　China　People's　Daily　
article　that　claimed　that　four　hundred　out　of　the　Forbes　500　companies　have　invested　
in　more　than　two　thousand　projects　in　mainland　China。　And　that　was　four　years　ago。　
Japan；　being　right　next　door　to　China；　has　taken　a　very　aggressive　approach　to　
internalizing　the　China　challenge。　Osamu