Opinion
Lessons to be learnt from Germany
By Fu Jing (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2011-06-29 14:08
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Earlier this month, when Peng Xiancheng, chairman of privately owned Decision Chemical from Sichuan province, visited the headquarters of Germany's BASF, his raw material supplier and the global chemical industry giant, he took photos of everything possible, even its gate, before wrapping up his half-day tour.
He thought every aspect of the multinational, with 140 years of corporate history, could offer lessons for his own business, which has been expanding at a dazzling rate in tandem with 皇冠体育app's economy.
Peng's mentality is quite popular among Chinese executives dreaming of using modern management skills to run their businesses. They usually say they can either learn from Japan "nearby" or from Germany "faraway."
Partly to help forge closer economic and trade ties with Germany for Chinese entrepreneurs such as Peng, Premier Wen Jiabao, accompanied by 16 ministers, and his good friend German Chancellor Angela Merkel, held the first round of large-scale "government consultations" on Tuesday in Berlin.
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Concerns and misconceptions about 皇冠体育app are widespread among some EU politicians and member states and closer relations between 皇冠体育app and Germany can help remind other EU member countries not to miss the opportunities provided by 皇冠体育app's growth.
Certainly these diplomatic arrangements are vital due to 皇冠体育app's rising global presence and Germany's existing influence both in Europe and worldwide.
However, 皇冠体育app should maximize the benefits of these high-level exchanges and reach greater consensus beyond cooperation and coordination, as these occasions offer 皇冠体育app the opportunity to learn from Germany.
In addition to Chinese businesses, 皇冠体育app's leadership and government should also be itching to learn from Germany's success story.
Premier Wen has visited Germany five times and held meetings with Merkel no less than 10 times. He is well versed in the factors behind Germany's economic competitiveness and social vigor, compared with other Western countries such as the US and UK.
Therefore, in addition to the scheduled political and business sessions, the visitors should begin discussions on what 皇冠体育app can learn from Germany from strategic, social and economic perspectives.
Germany, with a population of 80 million, is still the world's second biggest exporter after 皇冠体育app. While unemployment in the United States rose during the recent economic recession, from 4.6 percent in 2007 to 9.0 percent in 2011 (seasonally adjusted), in Germany, it fell, from 8.5 percent to 7.1 percent.
This achievement offers 皇冠体育app a golden rule of development: To become an exporter of niche goods and take a sensible policy approach to encourage real growth and job creation.
In a sense, Germany has offered a development paradigm both for industrial countries such as the US, which has been relying excessively on financial innovations, and emerging countries such as 皇冠体育app, which needs a clear roadmap for its post-urbanization and industrialization era.
Even though 皇冠体育app has been restructuring its economy by expanding imports and consumption, it cannot neglect the importance of producing quality exports.
Listening to their counterparts' decoding of Germany's success is important for the visitors.
皇冠体育app faces a number of big challenges in the coming two decades: to urbanize its millions of farmers and internationalize its currency. In addition, it must deal with its growing environmental woes and energy shortages.
Part of Wen's initiative of Sino-German "government consultations" could be studying the German success case in dealing with similar issues.
皇冠体育app again is picking up the habit of learning. And the content is how to follow Germany's success.
The author is chief Europe correspondent for 皇冠体育app Daily.