A Comparitive Study On The Competitive-ness In Chinese, Japanese And Korean Manufacturing Industry

Manufacturing is a permanent industry that promotes the progress of human society, and is the foundation stone of the development of a country as well. The competitive strength of manufacturing industry determines the grade of national development and the rank in international work division. China, Japan and Korean are the three strongest countries in manufacturing industry among the Eastern Asian economic circle. Their current situation and developing tendency have particularly reflected the international competitive relations. The dimensional grads of their competitive strength in manufacturing manifests the epitome of world's overall manufacturing division system. Through the comparison among their historical evolution and in particular, the current reality, we can be more clearly aware of the developing advantage of our manufacturing industry, the distance lies between other countries and China, and the experience that should be learned from Japan and Korean. Research on the law for less developed countries prevailing over the more developed by exerting the advantages of subsequent emergence and the study effect, not only carry representative significance in the comparative research on the manufacturing industry of China, newly emerged countries and the developed countries, but also facilitates the acknowledgement and mastery of the comparative relations between Japan and Korean so as to enhance the comparative strength of our manufacturing industry.The dissertation sticks to the fundamental points of Marxist dialectical materialism and historical materialism, employing the theory of comparative superiority and competitive superiority as the theoretical foundation stone and adopting the method of combining quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis, static analysis and dynamic analysis, specific manufacturing industry analysis and overall manufacturing industry analysis, individual country analysis and three countries comprehensive analysis. It provides a systematical and all-round analysis to the competitive strength of Chinese, Japanese and Korean manufacturing industries and makes several basic judgments. On this basis we are able to acquire some significant apocalypses and bring forward corresponding advice to certain policies.The innovative point of this dissertation is embodied in the following three aspects: The first innovation occurs in the standing point of the research angle. The comprehensive research literature specifically dealing with the competitive strength of Chinese, Japanese and Korean manufacturing industries can not be found in Chinese academic circles at present, while in Japan and Korea such related research is always founded on their individual standpoints, making analysis and judgment targeting at China's emergence. The dissertation is rooted in the Chinese angle and makes comprehensive positive analysis both on individual industry and the general level specifically in response to the competitive strength of Chinese, Japanese and Korean manufacturing industries.The second innovation occurs in the analytical method employed in the research. The already existing related research on the competitive strength of Chinese, Japanese and Korean manufacturing industry is ineluctably limited to the comparison between real static competitive forces.However, this dissertation proceeds with the vertical dynamic comparison combined with the horizontal static comparison of the historical evolutions in all three countries' manufacturing industries, making an all-compassing analysis to many aspects.The third innovation occurs in the viewpoints of the main content. Firstly, the dissertation argues that the dynamic competitive strength overweighs the static competitive strength when countries of discrepant economic development levels making comparison between their manufacturing competitive strengths. Secondly, the dissertation maintains that the main causes for the huge discrepancy existing in the real competitive strengths of Chinese, Japanese and Korean manufacturing industries are in some points of view apparently manifested in their differences of studying effect. Thirdly, an important cause for the growth decline in Japanese and Korean manufacturing industries lies in the developing steps of off-industrialization period, rather than the so-called "industrial inanition" caused by foreign direct investment and in particular by China's excessive investment. Fourthly, the dissertation argues that the overall competitive force of one country's manufacturing industry is decided by the innovation in system and technology, which is mainly embodied in different degrees of manufacturing structure dimensions. Within the division system of Chinese, Japanese and Korean manufacturing industries, Japan is oriented to capital goods, Korea intermediate goods and China final consuming goods. Their real competitive strengths are restricted by such manufacturing structure arrangements.The content of this dissertation consists of three major parts. The first part is the general conspectus, including the introduction, the theoretical framework of the research on competitive strength in the first chapter, and the background analysis to the manufacturing industry and the Chinese, Japanese and Korean industries in the second chapter. The second part is concerned with the comparative analysis to industrial competitive forces, including the comparison among competitive forces of the three countries' textile industries in the third chapter, the comparison in the iron and steel industries in the fourth chapter, the comparison in the naval construction industries in the fifth chapter and the comparison in the digital and information manufacturing industries in the sixth chapter. The third part consists of comprehensive analysis to the overall competitiveness of Chinese, Japanese and Korean manufacturing industries in the seventh chapter and the apocalypse gained along with policy suggestions in the eighth chapter.In the first part the introduction starts with the significance of the subject, briefly expounding the current conditions and backgrounds of related research on the competitive strength of the Chinese, Japanese and Korean manufacturing industries. On such basis it points out the three innovative aspects of the dissertation. Then in forms of picture illustration and brief words the dissertation presents the overall research thinking pattern and research method adopted. The first chapter is the theoretical framework. It primarily gives a general definition and interpretation to the notions of competitive strength, international competitive strength and industrial competitive strength. It also presents a comprehensive discussion to certain aspects such as the industrial competitive strength theory at home and abroad as well as demonstration research and the evaluation index of competitive strength. It especially points out with emphasis and gives introduction to the theories that constitute the theoretical foundation stone such as the comparative superiority theory and competitive superiority theory of the demonstration analysis to Chinese, Japanese and Korean manufacturing competitiveness, explaining those theoretical meanings. The second chapter firstly clarifies the definitions and boundary divisions of manufacturing industry. Then it explains the position and importance of manufacturing industry and the developmental tendency of theindustry all over the globe. In particular, it emphasizes on the explanation of the historical variance of the center of world's manufacturing industry, namely, the "World Factory". On such basis it analyzes the current conditions of "Made in China" emergence and the competitive backgrounds of Chinese, Japanese and Korean manufacturing industries, analyzing in detail the historical development venation and state of the three countries' manufacturing development.The second part puts emphasis on the analysis of the major four industries of the manufacturing industry. The categorization is in line with different classification methods such as the three essential factors of labor, capital and technique congested industries of manufacturing, traditional industry and newly emerged industry, intermediate products manufacturing, processing and assembling manufacturing industry. Out of the consideration for the integrality of manufacturing structure and respect for the inner logic existing in every industry, the dissertation selects four representational leading industries such as the textile industry, the iron and steel industry, the automobile industry and the digital and information industry. Through the seriation and systematical demonstration analysis to the four major industries from the light industry to the heavy industry, the traditional manufacturing to newly emerged manufacturing, the labor congested manufacturing to technique congested manufacturing, the dissertation has established solid foundation for the overall analysis to and summarization for manufacturing competitive strength. Within the second part the third chapter is concerned with the textile industry, which is a traditional labor congested industry. It includes both the textile industry producing intermediate products and the apparel industry making final products. In particular, the apparel industry is the most competitive industry in China's manufacturing industry. The fourth chapter deals with the competitive strength of iron and steel industry, which is a capital congested industry and the representative of intermediate products manufacturing. It provides intermediate products for many equipment manufacturing industries and is regarded as the basic industry of the country's economy as well as an important supporting industry in the heavy industrialization stage of our country. The fifth chapter belongs to the naval construction competitiveness part. The naval construction industry is a labor, capital and technique congested industry, which is part of processing and assembling manufacturing and has strong relations with other industries. The sixth chapter is the part of the digital and information manufacturing industry, which is the newly emerged technology and knowledge congested industry that is going through the fiercest competition all over the world. It also belongs to the processing and assembling manufacturing and has strong penetrability to traditional manufacturing. In the analysis to the above mentioned four key industries, there is analytical basis in each chapter for boundary division, seeking common ground while preserving differences in Chinese, Japan and Korean industries. The dissertation analyzes the historical evolution and general situation of various Chinese, Japanese and Korean industries in a systematical way. On such foundation the dissertation carries through concrete and detailed demonstration analysis to the competitive strength of various Chinese, Japanese and Korean industries, seeking disparities and brings forward corresponding measures.The third part is concerned with the analysis to overall competitive strength and policy suggestions. The seventh chapter goes along comprehensive comment on three aspects such as the general Chinese, Japanese and Korean manufacturing production competitive strength,trade competitive strength and technology competitive strength. Then on such basis the chapter makes general judgment and expectation for the static competitiveness and dynamic competitiveness of Chinese, Japanese and Korean manufacturing industries. The competitive strength of each of the three countries of China, Japan and Korea is different in development stage. If horizontally compared under the unified static index it is obvious that China, which is at the low rank of the Eastern Asian manufacturing division system, is the weakest in overall manufacturing static competitiveness owing to its weak technology competitive strength and low added value created. Although the overall scale of Japanese manufacturing is gradually shrinking, due to its technological advantages it is at the higher rank of the manufacturing industrial chains and its static competitive strength is the strongest among the three countries. As for Korea, whose certain industrial areas such as the naval construction industry competes all square with Japan in aspects of both scale and technique, is at the middle rank among the three countries in overall manufacturing competitive strength.Compared with static competitive strength, dynamic competitive strength should be attached with more importance. Chinese manufacturing dynamic competitive strength is the strongest both in developing rate and potential. Although Japanese is a developed country its manufacturing dynamic competitive strength is due to be the weakest. Korea, having both the model and the follower, is undergoing slight fluctuation to certain extent. Its dynamic competitive strength lies between China and Japan ranking the second. From aspects of both static competitiveness and dynamic competitiveness, the advantage of Chinese manufacturing derives from production cost, the overall scale of manufacturing development and development rate, as well as the potential for competition. The disadvantage comes from production technique and rate. If China wishes to shift from a country of massive manufacturing industry into a country of strong manufacturing industry, it must change comparative advantage into competitive advantage and change cost advantage into technology advantage. Only by innovation in technology and system can China truly acquire the real laurel of "World Factory". The eighth chapter is the apocalypse for us to learn from, which is concluded and summarized from the foundation of basic judgment. And then finally corresponding suggested policies are brought forward. In this chapter it is asserted that the system environment is the steering wheel of manufacturing industry development. The study effect is the inner impetus for enhancing manufacturing competitive strength of the laggard countries. The enterprise scale and industrial centralizing degree are the key factors that influence manufacturing competitive strength. Timely adjustment to industrial structure is an effective approach to enhance manufacturing competitive strength. China will be encountered by more harm than benefit in establishing the Chinese, Japanese and Korean FTA. The eighth chapter also brings forward policy suggestions in such areas as making industrial policies, establishing study system, strengthening industrial concentration, cultivating highly qualified manufacturing staff and designing and setting up industrial research institutions.