【By Observer Net, Liu Bai】

China's solid manufacturing foundation supports the rapid development of electric vehicles, continuously challenging the fragile sense of security of American automakers.

"Look at our situation, it's really humiliating," said Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company, during an event held in Detroit on September 30th, warning that the United States is far behind countries like China in manufacturing and key technologies, and that blue-collar industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and construction are vulnerable due to labor shortages and declining productivity. He called for collaboration between U.S. businesses and governments to strengthen vocational education, apprenticeship programs, and support for small businesses, eliminating institutional barriers that hinder blue-collar development.

According to a report from Fortune magazine, hundreds of executives from the U.S. manufacturing, construction, and logistics industries attended the "Ford Pro Accelerate Summit" held at the Michigan Central Station in Detroit on that day. Farley used this opportunity to initiate an urgent dialogue about U.S. competitiveness, urging bold actions and establishing new forms of cooperation to revitalize America's leadership and innovation in the context of labor shortages and declining productivity threatening the nation's industrial pillars.

Farley is concerned that China, with its continuous investment and coherent strategy, is rapidly surpassing the United States in manufacturing and key technologies.

When asked about how the U.S. domestic manufacturing, logistics, and construction sectors compare to other countries, Farley replied: "We are far behind... When you look at the current state of our basic economic sectors and the social acceptance and recognition of these jobs, it is indeed embarrassing."

He urged U.S. businesses and decision-makers to catch up: "We really need to act on our words and invest money."

On September 30, Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley attended an event in Detroit. Visual China

Farley spoke about his experiences in other advanced manufacturing countries, describing a sense of burden: The United States has not made the investments he believes are necessary to keep up.

"When you go to China, South Korea, Japan... what they do is invest. Real investment," Farley said when discussing the trade policies and economic focus of the Trump administration. "You may agree or disagree with his policies, but I'm not sure if these policies fit the needs of the basic economy."

In Farley's view, the reason why the Asian competitors of the United States stand out is because they have built comprehensive systems, not just making verbal commitments, but through concrete political and financial support, emphasizing the importance of blue-collar positions.

He said that in China and Japan, a middle-class job in the trade or manufacturing sector can change a person's life, which is similar to the significance of blue-collar jobs during the peak of the American industry. This kind of investment also extends to comprehensive training and apprenticeship programs, ensuring a stable workforce in critical areas.

He said this contrasts sharply with the current situation in the United States: The value of blue-collar industries is continuously declining in American society, leading to long-term labor shortages and stagnant productivity, putting the economy in a vulnerable position.

Farley called for a dual approach from private enterprises and the government: increasing actual investments in vocational training, supporting small businesses, and removing bureaucratic obstacles that hinder the industry.

The magazine Fortune believes that Farley's views are highly relevant to the current national policy discussions in the United States, including issues such as the Trump administration's focus on "manufacturing reshoring" and expanding vocational training.

Although acknowledging the intention behind these policies, Farley still warned that existing policies alone cannot solve the labor demand crisis; as the scale of domestic production expands, the lack of skilled labor could increase costs and cause production delays, ultimately harming both businesses and consumers.

Also attending the summit was Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, who insisted that the United States is still leading in manufacturing, but also said "we cannot be complacent."

She specifically mentioned the intense competition from China. When asked about the risks the U.S. would face if it did not increase investment, Whitmer stated bluntly: "China will take the lead."

She warned that if the U.S. fails to effectively compete, it will lose "high-paying jobs, lose intellectual leadership, and almost be defeated in all areas."

Whitmer cited the Munich International Auto Show in September this year as an example, saying that most of the exhibits were from Chinese companies.

"We must take this seriously, otherwise it will have a significant impact on everyone," she said, adding that China's industrial support allows companies to have price competitiveness, which has already had a 'devastating impact' on European industries, and we cannot let this happen in the United States."

It is worth noting that Farley has repeatedly expressed similar views, worrying about the current state of American manufacturing, especially in the automotive industry.

In June, Farley said during a panel discussion at the Aspen Ideas Festival in the U.S. that China's electric vehicle industry has made tremendous progress. He said, "70% of the electric vehicles in the world are made in China. They have more advanced in-vehicle technology, Huawei and Xiaomi appear in every car. Once you get into the car, you don't need to pair your phone, your digital life will automatically map to the car."

Farley added, "In addition, their cost and car quality are far superior to what I've seen in the West. We are competing globally with China, not only in the electric vehicle sector. If we lose, Ford has no future."

In a podcast aired on the 29th, Farley again said: "The reality of fierce competition is that China is the 700-pound gorilla in the electric vehicle industry. Based on what we've seen in China, neither Tesla, General Motors nor Ford has real competitiveness. China is completely dominating the global electric vehicle industry, and its influence is growing stronger outside of China."

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7556134164097974847/

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