Zhang Xiaokai: The automotive industry outperformed the first round

From worrying to exciting

Reporter: Since 2001, what has changed in China's auto industry?

Zhang Xiaokai: In the past five years, the development of China's auto industry has been worrying and exciting. It mainly manifests in the following four aspects. First, the output of automobiles has grown rapidly. Since 2001, China’s automobile output has increased from 2.3 million to 7 million this year, an increase of nearly 3 times.

Second, we have achieved a general balance of auto imports and exports. What is even more gratifying is that on the basis of earnestly fulfilling its WTO commitments, China’s auto exports have increased more than imports, and in 2005 they achieved a slightly greater export than imports.

Third, private consumption has become the dominant factor in China's auto market. The proportion of private consumption in the annual sales of automobiles in China has increased from approximately 30% in 2001 to the current 70%.

Fourth, self-owned brands have achieved rapid development. Today, the market share of self-owned brand cars has approached 30%, and breakthroughs have also been made in terms of exports.

The cumulative effect of the results of reform and opening up was released

Reporter: Faced with challenges such as the reduction of tariffs and the elimination of rigid localization indicators, the Chinese auto industry has not yet suffered from the impact of imported products, but has achieved rapid development. What are the main reasons?

Zhang Xiaokai: The rapid growth of the Chinese automobile industry in recent years, first of all, is due to the national policy of further deepening reforms and expanding opening up. Second, benefit from the cumulative effect of the automobile industry policy in 1994. In 1994, the auto industry policy stipulated 40% localization rate and forced foreign exchange balance, which effectively promoted the establishment of China's auto parts system. Third, it benefits from the long-term restructuring of the automotive industry. During the seven years from 1994 to 2000, the average annual growth of China’s automobile production was only about 3%. During this period, the automobile industry made strenuous efforts in the restructuring of state-owned enterprises, the introduction, absorption, and localization of foreign technologies. .

If we say that the above three reasons lay the foundation for the rapid development of the automobile industry in recent years, then the other three factors after 2001 cannot be ignored either. The first is the opening of the car market. After the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" explicitly proposed encouraging cars to enter the family, private consumption stimulated the first "blowout" market for the car market. Second, the country has successively approved a number of joint ventures, which greatly enriched the market supply. Third, a number of independent brand enterprises have successively obtained production licenses, and the rapid growth of independent brands has reduced the threshold for cars entering the family.

The second round of contests has only just begun

Reporter: China has become the world’s third largest automaker and second largest auto market. What challenges will China’s auto industry face in the future?

Zhang Xiaokai: The automotive industry has won the first round, and the contest for the second round has only just begun. For example, independent brands in the domestic market and the international market will encounter more fierce competition from foreign brands; in the field of automotive service trade, domestic companies The gap is still huge; there are energy and environmental challenges, and so on. Relying on the rapidly growing huge domestic market, China can be expected to grow from a big automobile country to a strong automobile country. However, in the face of these challenges, the automobile industry must have the following four conditions to become bigger and stronger: First, there must be strong Strong independent innovation capabilities; second, there must be a solid industrial base for parts and components, and it must be integrated into the international procurement system; and third, there must be simultaneous development of related industries such as raw materials, petroleum and petrochemicals, and equipment manufacturing; and fourthly, it must be improved. The support of the service trade system.

In order to meet the needs of a higher level of well-to-do life, it is necessary and conditional for China's auto industry to maintain a slightly higher growth than GDP. Chinese cars are full of hope.