Observation Network, November 9th report, the CEO of Wallenius Wilhelmsen, the world's largest roll-on/roll-off ship operator, said directly that Chinese companies have entered a new stage of innovation and expansion, and European car manufacturers are rapidly losing global market share.

Said by a major shipping boss in charge of global car transportation, this is more convincing than any expert report, because they directly see every ship loaded with cars from Chinese ports heading to all over the world.

In other words, even those in the transportation industry can feel this earthquake in manufacturing.

Previously, when the world talked about "Made in China," it more often thought of cheap, imitation, low-end products. But now, shipping industry leaders are reminding Europe: China is no longer winning on price, but rather reshaping the global automotive landscape through technology, speed, and scale.

China's Automotive Export

China's manufacturing was initially defined as low-end by the West. The West hoped that high-end manufacturing would remain at home, while low-end manufacturing would be given to China. This way, China could not gain advanced technology, yet could continue to provide cheap products, effectively working for them.

But China did not develop in the direction the West hoped for. Now even in the industry of automobiles, which is the crown jewel of industry, China has achieved global leadership.

Previously, Chinese car companies were imitating the designs of German and Japanese brands, needing to develop through joint ventures with overseas brands.

Now it's completely the opposite; they have become the trendsetters in electrification and intelligence.

Previously, foreign car companies entered China for the Chinese market. Now, foreign car companies stay in China to learn Chinese technology, and some analysts point out that even if they can't compete, they must stay in China to learn, only then can they compete in their own country's market.

China's Automotive Export

By contrast, foreign car companies are experiencing various struggles.

The halo of German brands in China has long faded, with Chinese car companies taking away the high-end electric vehicle market. Japanese and South Korean brands are also struggling under price pressure.

Europeans themselves are admitting that their luxury car era is being hit by reality.

German media once commented that Mercedes and BMW's transition to electric vehicles is slow and expensive. French brands are considered lacking in innovation and having high prices.

The problem for European car companies is that they rely too much on past brand premium and design traditions, but they haven't realized that consumers no longer buy by the logo, but by the experience.

Now, Chinese electric vehicles are selling out in Latin America and the Middle East, while European cars are still discussing how to save the diesel car industry. The contrast between the two is the most direct footnote to the changes of the times.

China's Automotive Export

According to reports from roll-on/roll-off shipping giants like Wallenius Wilhelmsen, this shift is already visibly evident.

The proportion of Chinese brands in整车运输 (whole vehicle transportation) to Europe, Latin America, and Africa has increased significantly, so much so that ship schedules and port loading capacities are crowded.

Previously, these routes were dominated by Japanese, German, and South Korean cars, but now they are occupied by Chinese cars.

Shipping company schedulers are surprised to find that not only are the car shipment routes from Shanghai, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Yantai, etc., increasing dramatically, but even northern ports such as Tianjin and Qingdao are being reshaped by the export of cars.

The shipping industry records the shift of industrial centers in the most straightforward way—car loading departure points have changed from Hamburg and Nagasaki to Chinese coasts, meaning that the map of manufacturing has been redrawn.

From a deeper perspective, this shift is not just a victory or loss in the automotive industry, but a rewriting of the global manufacturing order.

China's technological leap has made the world re-realize what it means to have scale and innovation going hand in hand.

Some say this is the eastward shift of the second industrial revolution, while others call it the manufacturing era without Western centrality.

No matter how it is defined, one thing is certain: the wave of "Made in China" has become irreversible.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7570977703415906843/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author, and we welcome you to express your opinion by clicking on the [Like/Dislike] buttons below.