Designated Drivers: How China Plans to Dominate the Global Auto Industry
Designated Drivers How China Plans To Dominate The Global Auto IndustryChina is an intricate economic ecosystem in which incredible growth and development has resulted from a combination of state-led planning and the measured management of market-oriented forces. Explaining how a formerly communist country—although still communist in name—can maintain an authoritarian political system while building globally competitive industries is difficult at best. But in looking at China's automobile industry, the picture becomes a little clearer.InDesignated Drivers, author G. E. Anderson—a well-known commentator and consultant on Chinese economics and the auto industry—delves deep into this country's automobile industry to shed some much-needed light on the nature of ownership, business-government relations, central-local relations, innovative capacity, and the perceived role of foreign players in China. Along the way, he offers an insightful analysis of the Chinese automotive industry and, in the process, reveals the overall political principles that drive economic decision-making at the top of the Chinese system.Based on in-depth research, including over 100 interviews of professionals, academics, and government researchers with connections to China's auto industry, and filled with comprehensive case studies,Designated Drivers:Explains how China was able to build a competitive industry from scratch while transitioning from a planned economy to one that is more market-orientedOffers insights on various aspects of China's auto industry, including prominent mergers of the past decade, Chinese-foreign joint ventures, and the "independent" Chinese automakersIllustrates the major determinants of success and failure in China's industrial planning modelCompares the start-up periods of the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean auto industries, with a focus on ownership, key institutions, technology acquisition, foreign involvement, and industry support and structure.Engaging and informative,Designated Driversputs the seemingly conflicting forces of China's unique political and economic systems in perspective. Whether you're interested specifically in the auto industry or economic development in general, you will gain valuable insights from the extensive analysis found here.