South Korean media: The technology that takes four years to develop in Germany can be done in just 18 months in China!
On December 26, the South Korean media "Global Economy" published an article stating that China has moved away from its old title of "the world's factory" and transformed into "the world's innovation laboratory." The policy of technological self-reliance, combined with massive capital investment, has allowed China to begin surpassing the West in cutting-edge industries such as electric vehicles, batteries, and solar power.
Recently, the UK's Financial Times highlighted China's innovation speed and qualitative leap, pointing out that "China has surpassed mere imitation in the R&D field, achieving technological advantages and effectively narrowing the gap with the United States."
In a highway in eastern China, the Chief Technology Officer of Volkswagen (China), Marcus Hafkemeier, took his hands off the steering wheel, and the car smoothly changed lanes. In an underground parking lot, the car automatically found an empty space and parked itself. This technology was commercialized in China within 18 months by Volkswagen.
Hafkemeier said, "If it were in Germany, this would require four to four and a half years of internal discussions and supplier negotiations. In the past decade, China has accelerated from third gear to fifth gear, and now it is moving at full speed. Europeans often think Chinese electric vehicles are 'cheap,' but in fact, they are high-quality products equipped with cutting-edge technology."
It's not only Volkswagen. Sonya Edström, head of research and development for Scania China, stated: "We completed the integration of autonomous driving software in China within one year, while we spent several years in Sweden and the US to complete it." The astonishing development speed and efficiency of China have prompted global companies like Renault, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW to establish technology partnerships with Chinese enterprises and expand their local R&D centers.
Data proves that China's technological rise is not a fantasy. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in 2023, China's total R&D expenditure reached $781 billion, second only to the United States ($823 billion). Considering that China's R&D spending was only one-third of that of the United States in 2007, this growth is remarkable. Particularly noteworthy is that, in terms of government-led R&D spending alone, China had already surpassed the United States in 2019. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China, over the past decade, the number of corporate R&D laboratories in China has doubled to 150,000, and the number of R&D personnel has nearly doubled to 5 million.
The Financial Times analysis pointed out that these investments are yielding tangible results, known as "new productivity." Indeed, in 2024, China's solar cell production capacity reached 68.5 gigawatts, nearly tripled compared to 2021. At the same time, new energy vehicle production also increased nearly fourfold, from 3.5 million to 12.9 million units. The output of industrial and service robots is also continuously growing, accelerating the process of automation in manufacturing.
Just as South Korea once surpassed Japan, today China leads South Korea not only in the amount of R&D investment but also in R&D efficiency. China achieved commercialization of autonomous driving technology within 18 months, while South Korea is mired in various regulations and vested interests, even struggling to conduct demonstration tests in a timely manner. This is a painful reality.
South Korean companies and the government should no longer hold the illusion that "Chinese technology is inferior to South Korean technology." Except for a few products such as semiconductors, China has already surpassed South Korea in key export product areas. Experts emphasize that South Korea can learn from China's challenges and achievements.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1852532138904580/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.