Supply chain security has become a highly concerned issue in all countries, and it is also an urgent task to realize the independent control of China’s supply chain.
Realizing the self-control of supply chain is an inevitable choice for building a new development pattern, which is of great significance for unswervingly building a manufacturing power.
To enhance the self-control ability of supply chain, we need to take a multi-pronged approach, and pay attention to coordinating and handling the relationship with global division of labor and cooperation.
The Central Economic Work Conference laid out the key tasks for 2021, and clearly pointed out that "enhancing the self-control ability of the industrial chain supply chain" and "the security and stability of the industrial chain supply chain is the basis for building a new development pattern". So, as far as China’s supply chain is concerned, what problems and risks need to be dealt with? Why is it urgent to improve self-control ability? How to take multiple measures to ensure the safety of supply chain? These are all important topics that need to be studied and solved urgently at present.
Pay close attention to supply chain security.
Generally speaking, the supply chain mainly refers to the process of multinational companies purchasing raw materials around the world and combining them into finished products through complex processes. Multinational companies engaged in production and business activities in countries all over the world need to effectively manage the supply chain all over the world, that is, plan, coordinate, operate, control and optimize the whole supply chain system, and deliver the products needed by customers to the right place at the right time according to the right quantity, quality and state, and optimize the total cost.
In this process, multinational companies have formed complex supply chains and networks by arranging supply chains around the world. As a part of the global supply chain, the supply chains of various countries are linked by interests, which influence, depend on and interact with each other. Because it is difficult for a country to effectively control the supply chain of other countries, and the supply chain operation may get out of control, the supply chain security has become a highly concerned issue for all countries.
In recent years, China has also encountered some problems such as poor industrial operation caused by the failure or even fracture of supply chain operation. Supply chain risks mainly come from technical protection and technical barriers in some developed countries. For example, once some countries find that a high-tech research and development in China has reached a key node, they begin to strictly limit the supply of technology. Some countries can control the global supply chain of an industry and become "chain owners" because of their technological or resource advantages. With the help of the status of "chain owner", they will lay out the supply chain in other countries with their own needs as the center, transfer the supply chain links with low profit margins, consolidate their dominant position at the highest end of the value chain, and use their control to crack down on potential competitors, thus making other countries in the supply chain in a relatively passive position and facing greater supply chain risks. In recent years, China has been frequently suppressed by individual "chain owners". Because some products in China are still in the process of processing and assembly in the supply chain, some core technologies are still subject to people, and there are shortcomings, which directly leads to the "stuck neck". In addition, the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic has also prompted some countries to take measures to move some key supply chains back to their own countries or relocate them. Therefore, it has become a top priority to realize the independent control of China’s supply chain.
Realizing self-control is an inevitable choice.
We should have a correct understanding of the self-control of supply chain. "Autonomy" means that China can play a leading role in key supply chains; "Controllable" means that although China cannot dominate some supply chains, it has great control and influence. The purpose of realizing self-control of supply chain is to ensure the smooth operation of national economy and realize economic security and industrial security.
Generally speaking, indicators to measure the security of a country’s supply chain include toughness and elasticity. Resilience means that the supply chain has strong enough anti-strike ability; Elasticity refers to the ability of supply chain to recover quickly from accidental damage and run continuously in the face of uncertain environment. Realizing "autonomous control" means that the supply chain has good toughness and elasticity, and can maintain or quickly resume normal operation under external shocks.
Realizing the self-control of supply chain is an inevitable choice to build a new development pattern. Accelerating the construction of a new development pattern with the domestic big cycle as the main body and the domestic and international double cycles promoting each other means building an autonomous and controllable supply chain in China, that is, from raw materials and equipment to intermediate products and finished products to consumer purchases, all these links are autonomous and controllable. As the second largest economy in the world, China cannot allow its supply chain to be dominated. At the same time, China has a huge domestic demand market and efficient industrial clusters, which is an important guarantee to realize the independent and controllable supply chain. China must build an independent and controllable supply chain to provide important support for accelerating the construction of a new development pattern.
Realizing the self-control of supply chain is an inevitable choice for building a manufacturing power. A strong manufacturing country requires not only a large-scale manufacturing industry, complete industrial sectors and high technology content, but also a sufficiently safe and efficient supply chain. It can be seen from the suppression of China’s high-tech supply chain by some developed countries in recent years that there are some weak links in China’s manufacturing supply chain, including technical shortcomings. Therefore, to unswervingly build a manufacturing power, we must build an independent, controllable and highly secure supply chain.
Take multiple measures at the same time to enhance self-control ability
To enhance the self-control ability of the industrial chain supply chain, we should take measures to promote the completion of short boards and forging long boards as a whole, and implement the industrial base reconstruction project in accordance with the requirements put forward by the Central Economic Work Conference, and intensify our work.
Find out the base and fill in the shortcomings. Relevant departments should be organized to make a thorough survey of the supply chain of China’s high-tech industries and other key industries, list the weak links according to the technology gap and the pressure from competitors, and list the possible alternative technologies. For key supply chain links and "stuck neck" technology, lock the shortcomings one by one, focus on tackling key problems and transform research and development results as soon as possible to expand the technology spillover effect; For some key industries, speed up the establishment of independent and controllable supply chains to ensure the safety of supply chains.
Give full play to advantages and forge long boards. In the global supply chain, China’s manufacturing industry has the competitiveness that can not be ignored, that is, the "long board", for example, it has a strong manufacturing industrial cluster and technological advantages suitable for China’s industry and market characteristics. Measures such as improving the business environment should be taken to further develop these "long board" advantages and encourage enterprises to become bigger and stronger in their advantageous fields.
Lay a solid foundation and improve your ability. The overall competitiveness of a country’s supply chain must be based on a solid industrial foundation. We should establish an evaluation system of industrial basic ability, accurately grasp and evaluate the present situation of China’s industrial chain supply chain and key technologies, and determine scientific and reasonable upgrading goals; In-depth implementation of industrial base reengineering project, clear focus, classification organization and implementation; To strengthen the construction of basic R&D system of common technology, we can consider adopting different organizational forms according to the characteristics of different common technologies.
Pay attention to coordinating and handling the two major relationships.
With the deepening of economic globalization, the international division of labor is becoming more and more complicated, and the dependence of supply chain between countries will become greater and greater. Therefore, to improve the self-control ability of supply chain, we should also pay attention to coordinating and handling the two major relationships.
The first is the relationship between supply chain autonomy and global division of labor and cooperation. Autonomous controllability can only be "autonomous" and "controllable" to a certain extent, and it is difficult to cover all links in the supply chain, so we should combine autonomous controllability with global supply chain cooperation. For some "stuck neck" links, we should have certain technical reserves in our country and have the ability to concentrate resources to achieve technological breakthroughs; At the same time, based on the principle of mutual benefit and win-win, we should establish closer supply chain cooperation by signing free trade agreements and investment agreements with other economic and trade partners to form complementary advantages and improve the stability and security of international supply chain cooperation.
The second is the relationship between self-control and upgrading of supply chain. For China, in addition to realizing the self-control of the supply chain, it is also necessary to vigorously enhance the competitiveness of the industrial chain supply chain and its position in the global value chain through technological innovation. From the enterprise level, we should vigorously carry forward the entrepreneurial spirit and promote innovation in raw materials, technology, products, markets and production organization. From the government level, we should vigorously consolidate the basic research links in the innovation chain of Science and Technology, make long-term planning and continue to invest. At the same time, it is necessary to promote a better combination of effective markets and promising governments.
[The author is a researcher at the Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought Research Center of the New Era, the supreme leader of the Central Party School (National School of Administration)]
(Editor: Wu Yujuan)