the.world.is.flat-第31节

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individuals　who　were　experienced　at　operating　in　China　and　yet　were　familiar　with　
how　the　rest　of　the　world　operated　and　knew　where　China　had　to　go。　So　between　1997　
and　1999；　we　recruited　a　whole　team　of'New　China'　managers；　typically　mainland　Chinese　
who　had　worked　for　multinationals；　and　as　these　managers　came　on　board；　we　began　one　
by　one　to　replace　the　'Old　China'　managers　at　our　companies。〃　
Once　the　new　generation　of　Chinese　managers；　who　understood　global　markets　and　
customers　and　could　be　united　around　a　shared　company　vision…and　knew　China…was　in　
place；　ASIMCO　started　making　a　profit。　Today　ASIMCO　has　sales　of　about　350　million　
a　year　in　auto　parts　from　thirteen　Chinese　factories　in　nine　provinces。　The　company　
sells　to　customers　in　the　United　States；　and　it　also　has　thirty…six　sales　offices　
throughout　China　servicing　automakers　in　that　country　too。　
From　this　base；　Perkowski　made　his　next　big　move…taking　the　profits　from　offshoring　
back　onshore　in　America。　〃In　April　of　2003；　we　bought　the　North　American　camshaft　
operations　of　Federal…Mogul　Corporation；　an　old…line　components　company　that　is　now　
in　bankruptcy；〃　said　Perkowski。　〃We　bought　the　business　first　to　get　access　to　its　
customers；　which　were　primarily　the　Big　Three　automakers；　plus　Caterpillar　and　
Cummins。　While　we　have　had　long…standing　relationships　with　Cat　and　Cummins　…　and　
this　acquisition　enhanced　our　position　with　them…　the　camshaft　sales　to　the　Big　Three　
were　our　first。　The　second　reason　to　make　the　acquisition　was　to　obtain　technology　
which　we　could　bring　back　to　China。　Like　most　of　the　technology　that　goes　into　modern　
passenger　cars　and　trucks；　people　take　camshaft　technology　for　granted。　However；　
camshafts　＇the　part　of　the　engine　that　controls　how　the　pistons　go　up　and　down＇　are　
highly　engineered　products　which　are　critical　to　the　performance　of　the　engine。　The　
acquisition　of　this　business　essentially　gave　us　the　know…how　and　technology　that　
we　could　use　to　become　the　camshaft　leader　in　China。　As　a　result；　we　now　have　the　
best　camshaft　technology　and　a　customer　base　both　in　China　and　the　U。S。〃　

This　is　a　very　important　point；　because　the　general　impression　is　that　offshoring　
is　a　lose…lose　proposition　for　American　workers…something　that　was　here　went　over　
there；　and　that　is　the　end　of　the　story。　The　reality　is　more　complicated。　
Most　companies　build　offshore　factories　not　simply　to　obtain　cheaper　labor　for　
products　they　want　to　sell　in　America　or　Europe。　Another　motivation　is　to　serve　that　
foreign　market　without　having　to　worry　about　trade　barriers　and　to　gain　a　dominant　
foothold　there…particularly　a　giant　market　like　China's。　According　to　the　U。S。　
Commerce　Department；　nearly　90　percent　of　the　output　from　U。S。…owned　offshore　
factories　is　sold　to　foreign　consumers。　But　this　actually　stimulates　American　exports。　
There　is　a　variety　of　studies　indicating　that　every　dollar　a　company　invests　overseas　
in　anoffshore　factory　yields　additional　exports　for　its　home　country；because　roughly　


one…third　of　global　trade　today　is　within　multinational　companies。　It　works　the　other　
way　as　well。　Even　when　production　is　moved　offshore　to　save　on　wages；　it　is　usually　
not　all　moved　offshore。　According　to　a　January　26；　2004；　study　by　the　Heritage　
Foundation；　Job　Creation　and　the　Taxation　of　Foreign…Source　Income；　American　
companies　that　produce　at　home　and　abroad；　for　both　the　American　market　and　China's；　
generate　more　than　21　percent　of　U。S。　economic　output；　produce　56　percent　of　U。S。　
exports；　and　employ　three…fifths　of　all　manufacturing　employees；　about　9　million　
workers。　So　if　General　Motors　builds　a　factory　offshore　in　Shanghai；　it　also　ends　
up　creating　jobs　in　America　by　exporting　a　lot　of　goods　and　services　to　its　own　factory　
in　China　and　benefiting　from　lower　parts　costs　in　China　for　its　factories　in　America。　
Finally；　America　is　a　beneficiary　of　the　same　phenomenon。　While　much　attention　is　
paid　to　American　companies　going　offshore　to　China；　little　attention　is　paid　to　the　
huge　amount　of　offshore　investment　coming　into　America　every　year；　because　foreigners　
want　access　to　American　markets　and　labor　just　like　we　want　access　to　theirs。　On　
September　25；　2003；　DaimlerChrysler　celebrated　the　tenth　anniversary　of　its　decision　
to　build　the　first　Mercedes…Benz　passenger　car　factory　outside　Germany；　in　Tuscaloosa；　
Alabama；　by　announcing　a　600　million　plant　expansion。　〃In　Tuscaloosa　we　have　
impressively　shown　that　we　can　produce　a　new　production　series　with　a　new　workforce　
in　a　new　factory；　

and　we　have　also　demonstrated　that　it　is　possible　to　have　vehicles　successfully　'Made　
by　Mercedes'　outside　of　Germany；〃　Professor　Jiirgen　Hub…bert；　the　DaimlerChrysler　
Board　of　Management　member　responsible　for　the　Mercedes　Car　Group；　announced　on　the　
anniversary。　
Not　surprisingly；　ASIMCO　will　use　its　new　camshaft　operation　in　China　to　handle　the　
raw　material　and　rough　machining　operations；　exporting　semifinished　products　to　its　
camshaft　plant　in　America；　where　more　skilled　American　workers　can　do　the　finished　
machining　operations；　which　are　most　critical　to　quality。　In　this　way；　ASIMCO's　
American　customers　receive　the　benefit　of　a　China　supply　chain　and　at　the　same　time　
have　the　comfort　of　dealing　with　a　known；　American　supplier。　
The　average　wage　of　a　high…skilled　machinist　in　America　is　3；000　to　4；000　a　month。　
The　average　wage　for　a　factory　worker　in　China　is　about　150　a　month。　In　addition；　
ASIMCO　is　required　to　participate　in　a　Chinese　government…sponsored　pension　plan　
covering　heath　care；　housing；　and　retirement　benefits。　Between　35　and　45　percent　of　
a　Chinese　worker's　monthly　wage　goes　directly　to　the　local　labor　bureau　to　cover　these　
benefits。　The　fact　that　health　insurance　in　China　is　so　much　cheaper…because　of　lower　
wages；　much　more　limited　health　service　offerings；　and　no　malpractice　
suits…〃certainly　makes　China　an　attractive　place　to　expand　and　add　employees；〃　
explained　Perkowski。　〃Anything　which　can　be　done　to　reduce　a　U。S。　company's　liability　
for　medical　coverage　would　be　a　plus　in　keeping　jobs　in　the　U。S。〃　
By　taking　advantage　of　the　flat　world　to　collaborate　this　way…　between　onshore　and　
offshore　factories；　and　between　high…wage；　high…skilled　American　workers　close　to　
their　market　and　low…wage　Chinese　workers　close　to　theirs…said　Perkowski；　〃we　make　
our　American　company　more　competitive；　soit　is　getting　more　orders　and　we　are　actually　


growing　the　business。　And　that　is　what　many　in　the　U。S。　are　missing　when　they　talk　
about　offshoring。　Since　the　acquisition；　for　example；　we　have　doubled　our　business　
with　Cummins；　and　our　business　with　Caterpillar　has　grown　significantly。　All　of　our　
customers　are　exposed　to　global　competition　and　really　need　their　supply　base　to　the　
do　the　right　thing　as　far　as　cost　competitiveness。　They　want　to　work　with　suppliers　
who　un…　
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derstand　the　flat　world。　When　I　went　to　visit　our　U。S。　customers　to　explain　our　
strategy　for　the　camshaft　business；　they　were　very　positive　about　what　we　were　doing；　
because　they　could　see　that　we　were　aligning　our　business　in　a　way　that　was　going　
to　enable　them　to　be　more　competitive。〃　
This　degree　of　collaboration　has　been　possible　only　in　the　last　couple　of　years。　〃We　
could　not　have　done　what　we　have　done　in　China　in　1983　or　1993；〃　said　Perkowski。　〃Since　
1993；　a　number　of　things　have　come　together。　For　example；　people　always　talk　about　
how　much　the　Internet　has　benefited　the　U。S。　The　point　I　always　make　is　that　China　
has　benefited　even　more。　What　has　held　China　back　in　the　past　was　the　inability　of　
people　outside　China　to　get　information　about　the　country；　and　the　inability　of　people　
inside　China　to　get　information　about　the　rest　of　the　world。　Prior　to　the　Internet；　
the　only　way　to　close　that　information　gap　was　travel。　Now　you　can　stay　home　and　do　
it　with　the　Internet。　You　could　not　operate　our　global　supply　chain　without　it。　We　
now　just　e…mail　blueprints　over　the　Internet…we　don't　even　need　FedEx。〃　
The　advantages　for　manufacturing　in　China；　for　certain　industries；　are　becoming　
overwhelming；　added　Perkowski；　and　cannot　be　ignored。　Either　you　get　flat　or　you'll　
be　flattened　by　China。　〃If　you　are　sitting　in　the　U。S。　and　don't　figure　out　how　to　
get　into　China；〃　he　said；　〃in　ten　or　fifteen　years　from　now　you　will　not　be　a　global　
leader。〃　
Now　that　China　is　in　the　WTO；　a　lot　of　traditional；　slow；　inefficient；　and　protected　
sectors　of　the　Chinese　economy　are　being　exposed　to　some　withering　global　
competition…something　received　as　warmly　in　Canton；　China；　as　in　Canton；　Ohio。　Had　
the　Chinese　government　put　WTO　membership　to　a　popular　vote；　〃it　never　would　have　
passed；〃　said　PatPowers；　whoheaded　the　U。S。…China　Business　Council　office　inBeijing　
during　the　WTO　accession。　A　key　reason　why　China's　leadership　sought　WTO　membership　
was　to　use　it　as　a　clubto　force　China's　bureaucracy　to　modernize　and　take　down　internal　
regulatory　walls　and　pockets　for　arbitrary　decision　making。　China's　leadership　〃knew　
that　
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China　had　to　integrate　globally　and　that　many　of　their　existing　institutions　would　
simply　not　chang