Ensuring the safety and smoothness of the industrial and supply chains is a hurdle that must be overcome for the economy to develop towards higher quality.
Text | Li Changan
The Central Economic Work Conference held recently pointed out that enhancing the independent controllability of industrial and supply chains is one of the key tasks of economic work next year. The meeting emphasized that the security and stability of the industrial and supply chains are the basis for building a new development pattern. It is necessary to coordinate efforts to make up for shortcomings and forge longboards, implement key core technology research projects for weak links in the industry, solve a number of "stuck" problems as soon as possible, work intensively in areas of industrial advantage, and develop more unique skills.
Key links in the industrial chain and supply chain must be independent
Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, my country’s industrial and supply chains have developed greatly, with most industries relying on the economy Globalization and integration have basically formed a relatively complete industrial chain and supply chain. There are also many industrial and supply chains that have successfully formed effective self-circulation in the domestic market.
However, since this year, due to the impact of the new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic and the rise of international trade protectionism, my country's economic and social development has been greatly impacted. Especially in terms of industrial and supply chains, poor supply and even "broken chains" and "cut-offs" in some industries have frequently occurred, which has brought unsatisfactory consequences to the production and operation of enterprises and even the stable development of the national economy. Small shock.
In fact, the security of the industrial chain and supply chain is also an important part of national economic security. It is the basis and prerequisite for building a new development pattern that focuses on domestic circulation and promotes domestic and international dual circulation. This is also the main reason why the Central Economic Work Conference ranked enhancing the independent controllability of industrial and supply chains as the second priority next year.
If the "disconnection" and "supply interruption" caused by the epidemic can be reconnected after the epidemic is alleviated or controlled, then due to the so-called technology transfer restrictions and even "supply interruption" implemented by some countries "The impact on the industrial and supply chains caused by the epidemic may be sustained and intrinsic.
In fact, the impact of technological "stuckness" has caused considerable pain to some of my country's leading high-tech companies: industrial and supply chains have been artificially interrupted, and corporate production has been forced to suspend. Even if some companies are forced to pay huge technology royalties to foreign parties, they cannot get the transfer of core technologies. And core technology has become a time bomb for certain countries to threaten and intimidate Chinese domestic enterprises. Facts have repeatedly proven that when it comes to key technologies and links in the industrial and supply chains, failure to be autonomous can easily lead to “loss of control”.
Because of this, how to ensure the safety and smoothness of the industrial and supply chains has become a hurdle that must be overcome in order for the economy to develop towards higher quality.
Since the beginning of this year, policy statements around ensuring the security of the industrial chain and supply chain have continued to evolve, from "ensuring the stability of the industrial chain and supply chain" to "improving the stability and competitiveness of the industrial chain and supply chain" to "Enhance the independent controllability of the industrial chain and supply chain." It can be said that for a long time to come, "independent controllability" will be regarded as the key "key" to achieve stable upgrading of the industrial chain and supply chain.
Independent innovation of core technology is the foundation for ensuring the industrial chain and supply chain
In order to achieve independent control of the industrial chain and supply chain, independent innovation of core technology is the most important and fundamental solution.
From a practical point of view, our country's independent innovation capabilities have been greatly improved, and are far from the "poor and useless" appearance of the past. Today, our country has the largest higher education in the world, the number of patent applications has been among the top in the world for many years, the dominant position of corporate innovation has been continuously consolidated, and the policies to encourage innovation have been improving day by day.
What is particularly commendable is that our country has not fallen behind in the new wave of science and technology, and has even caught up in some aspects. These are the basis for our country to accelerate the pace of independent innovation.
Only when key core technologies are firmly in one's own hands can the industrial and supply chains truly get rid of the "stuck" dilemma.
In order to realize the independent controllability of the industrial chain and supply chain, we also need to vigorously forge the long board of our country's industrial chain and supply chain.
Nowadays, our country has formed international competitive advantages in some fields, which requires us to further consolidate and enhance the international leading position of advantageous industries and continue to enhance the advantages of the entire industry chain in areas such as high-speed rail, power equipment, new energy, and communication equipment.
At the same time, efforts must be made to make up for the shortcomings of the industrial and supply chains, carry out in-depth industrial foundation reconstruction projects, and build an independent, controllable, safe and reliable domestic production and supply system in areas and nodes related to national security to ensure that At critical moments, it can achieve self-circulation and keep the economy functioning normally.
In order to realize the independent control of the industrial chain and supply chain, enterprises also need to be self-reliant and self-reliant. As a basic node in the industrial chain supply chain, companies need to take precautions and increase investment in technology research and development and technology personnel incentives. Especially in terms of "stuck" technologies, we must get rid of "dependence" and "fantasy" as soon as possible. In addition to accelerating the digestion and absorption of imported technologies, independent transformation and independent innovation, we also need to have technological "spare tires" in case of emergencies. need.
What needs to be reminded is that the autonomy and controllability of the industrial chain and supply chain does not mean self-sufficiency and working behind closed doors. We must adhere to the new development concept of giving priority to the domestic cycle and mutually reinforcing the domestic and international dual cycles, and achieve the improvement of independent and controllable capabilities in the process of opening up to the outside world at a higher level.
In other words, the independent controllability of the industrial chain and supply chain emphasizes "capability". On the one hand, our country must have localization capabilities in key links of key industries, but it also needs to strengthen international cooperation and open up channels. , put international advanced technology to my use. Only in this way can the goal of independent and controllable industrial and supply chains be achieved, and my country's economic security be effectively guaranteed.
Li Changan (scholar)