An exposรฉ on how the rise of China will affect the American way of life
The End of Cheap China is a fun, riveting, must-read book not only for people doing business in China but for anyone interested in understanding the forces that are changing the world.
Many Americans know China for manufacturing cheap products, thanks largely to the country's vast supply of low-cost workers. But China is changing, and the glut of cheap labor that has made everyday low prices possible is drying up as Chinese seek not to make iPhones, but to buy them. Shaun Rein, Founder of the China Market Research Group, puts China's continuing transformation from producer to large-scale consumer - a process that is farther along than most economists think - under the microscope, examining eight megatrends that are catalyzing change in China and posing threats to Americans' consumption-driven way of life.
Rein takes an engaging and informative approach to examining the extraordinary changes taking place across all levels of Chinese society, talking to everyone from Chinese billionaires and senior government officials to poor migrant workers and even prostitutes and drawing on personal stories and experiences from living in China since the 1990s as well as hard economic data. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of China's transformation, from fast-improving Chinese companies to confident, optimistic Chinese women to the role of China's government, and at the end breaks down key lessons for readers to take away.
The End of Cheap China shows:
- How rising labor and real estate costs are forcing manufacturers of cheap Chinese products to close, relocate, or move up the value stream
- How a restructuring economy moving away from exports to domestic consumption, and rising incomes will create opportunities for foreign brands to sell products in China rather than just producing there
- How Chinese consumption will build pressure on the global commodities markets, causing inflation and friction with other nations
- How China's economic transformation spells the end of cheap consumption for Americans
China's days as a low cost production center are numbered. The End of Cheap China exposes the end of America's consumerist way of life and gives clear advice on how companies can succeed in the new world order.
Amazon.com Review
Q & A with Shaun Rein, author of The End of Cheap China
Shaun ReinWhat is your background with the Chinese economy?
I first came to China in the 1990s and studied it as a graduate student at Harvard. At that time, the word "cheap" summed up China. Land prices and salaries were low and the quality of China's production was inferior. It was still difficult to find a decent job. When walking outside the gates of factories, you used to run into swelling crowds of unemployed workers with cardboard signs touting their skill sets in the hopes of finding a job. That has all changed in the last decade due to the job creation spurred by multinationals investing billions of dollars. Now the biggest obstacle to growth in China for most firms is finding talent even with China's large population.
What are some of the biggest economic or cultural disruptions happening now in China that people and businesses should pay attention to?
Too many businesses underestimate how fast costs are rising in China and how rising costs won't change anytime soon. In 2011, 21 of China's 31 provinces increased the minimum wage an average of 22%. The government has set a plan to raise the minimum wage by 13% annually for the next five years to spur domestic consumption and wean away the country's reliance on exports. Many companies might be forced to relocate manufacturing to lower cost countries like Indonesia. However, the reality is China's work force and infrastructure is far superior, so China won't lose its dominance in manufacturing. The resulting higher input prices will force companies to accept squeezed margins or they will have to transfer higher costs to end consumers. Instead of being a deflationary force in the global economy, China will export inflation to the rest of the world. Already import prices from China in 2011 in America were up 3.6%, the highest on record. Consumers around the world better get used to seeing higher priced products in stores.
What kind of global impact will "the end of cheap China" have?
Aside from higher costs, "the end of cheap China" means that China as a nation will become more powerful in global affairs which could cause more friction. Chinese companies will not only be investing more in countries like Canada to secure access to natural resources but Chinese brands will start selling products abroad and acquiring Western brands, as Chinese auto manufacturer Geeley with its acquisition of the Volvo brand. It also means China's government will take a larger role in global institutions like the United Nations and G20 in order to safeguard its interests. The key to China's rise as a superpower is to ensure that it is integrated enough into world affairs to reduce possible tension and to stop the fear-mongering and hysteria about China's rise.
From the Inside Flap
China is known for manufacturing cheap products, thanks largely to the country's vast supply of low-cost workers. But China is changing, and the glut of cheap labor that has made everyday low prices possible is drying up, as the Chinese people seek not to make iPhones, but to buy them. This evaporating labor pool will disrupt supply chains and consumption habits around the world.
Rein takes an engaging and informative approach to examining the changes taking place across all levels of Chinese society, talking to everyone from Chinese billionaires and senior government officials, to poor migrant workers, and even prostitutes. He draws on personal stories and experiences from living in China since the 1990s, as well as hard economic data. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of China's transformation--from trailblazing Chinese companies to newly employed Chinese women to the role of China's government--and at the end breaks down key lessons for readers to take away.
You'll learn:
- How rising labor and real estate costs are forcing manufacturers of cheap Chinese products to close, relocate, or move up the value stream
- How China's move away from exports to domestic consumption will create opportunities for foreign brands to sell products in China rather than just producing there
- How Chinese consumption will build pressure on the global commodities markets, causing both inflation and friction with other nations
- How China's economic transformation spells the end of cheap consumption for Americans
China's days as a low-cost production center are numbered. The End of Cheap China exposes the end of our consumerist way of life, and gives clear advice on how companies can succeed in the new world order.