Text | Li Changan
The Central Economic Work Conference held a few days ago pointed out that strengthening the self-control ability of industrial chain supply chain is one of the key tasks of economic work next year. The meeting emphasized that the security and stability of the industrial chain supply chain is the basis for building a new development pattern. It is necessary to make overall plans to make up short boards and forge long boards, implement key core technology research projects for weak links in the industry, solve a number of "stuck neck" problems as soon as possible, intensively cultivate in the fields of industrial advantages and create more unique stunts.
The key links of industrial chain and supply chain should be independent.
Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, China's industrial chain supply chain has been greatly developed, and most industries have basically formed a relatively perfect industrial chain supply chain with the help of economic globalization and integration. There are also many industrial chain supply chains that have successfully formed effective self-circulation in the domestic market.
However, since the beginning of this year, China's economic and social development has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic and the rise of international trade protectionism. Especially in the industrial chain supply chain, the supply of industrial chain supply chain in some industries is not smooth or even "broken chain" or "broken supply" frequently occurs, which has brought great influence to the production and operation of enterprises and even the stable development of the national economy.
In fact, the security of industrial chain supply chain is also an important content of national economic security, and it is the basis and premise of building a new development pattern with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international dual circulation promoting each other. This is also the main reason why the Central Economic Work Conference listed strengthening the independent and controllable ability of the industrial chain supply chain as the second key task next year.
If the "broken chain" and "broken supply" caused by the epidemic can be reconnected after the epidemic is alleviated or controlled, the so-called technology transfer restrictions or even "broken supply" in individual countries may have a lasting and internal impact on the industrial chain and supply chain.
In fact, the influence of technology "stuck in the neck" has brought a lot of pain to some domestic high-tech leading enterprises: the supply chain of industrial chain was artificially interrupted and the production of enterprises was forced to stop. Even if some enterprises are forced to pay huge technology use fees to foreign parties, they cannot transfer their core technologies. Core technology has also become a time bomb for individual countries to threaten and intimidate domestic enterprises in China. Facts have repeatedly proved that it is easy to "get out of control" without autonomy in the key technologies and links of the industrial chain supply chain.
Because of this, how to ensure the safety and smoothness of the supply chain of the industrial chain has become a hurdle that the economy must cross to develop with higher quality.
Since the beginning of this year, the policy statement on ensuring the safety of industrial chain supply chain has been made step by step, from "ensuring the stability of industrial chain supply chain" to "improving the stability and competitiveness of industrial chain supply chain" and then "enhancing the independent and controllable ability of industrial chain supply chain". It can be said that for a long time to come, "self-controllable ability" will be regarded as the key to realize the stable upgrading of industrial chain supply chain.
Independent innovation of core technology is the basis of ensuring the supply chain of industrial chain.
To realize independent control of industrial chain supply chain, independent innovation of core technology is the most important and fundamental solution.
In practice, China's independent innovation ability has been greatly improved, far from being "poor and white" in the past. Today, China has the largest higher education in the world, and the number of patent applications has been among the highest in the world for many years. The main position of enterprise innovation has been continuously consolidated, and the policy of encouraging innovation has been improved day by day.
What is particularly commendable is that China has not fallen behind in the new wave of science and technology, and even achieved catch-up in some aspects. These are the foundations for China to accelerate the pace of independent innovation.
The key core technologies are firmly in our own hands, and the supply chain of the industrial chain can really get rid of the "stuck neck" dilemma.
In order to realize the self-control of industrial chain supply chain, it is necessary to forge the long board of industrial chain supply chain in China. Nowadays, China has formed an international competitive advantage in some fields, which requires us to further consolidate and enhance the international leading position of advantageous industries and constantly enhance the advantages of the whole industry chain in the fields of high-speed rail, power equipment, new energy and communication equipment.
At the same time, efforts must be made to fill the shortcomings of the industrial chain supply chain, carry out the industrial base reconstruction project in depth, build an independent, controllable, safe and reliable domestic production and supply system in areas and nodes related to national security, ensure self-circulation and maintain normal economic operation at critical moments.
In order to realize the self-control of industrial chain supply chain, enterprises also need to stand on their own feet. As the basic node of the industrial chain supply chain, enterprises need to plan ahead, increase investment in scientific research and development and encourage scientific and technological personnel. Especially in the "stuck neck" technology, we should get rid of "dependence" and "fantasy" as soon as possible. In addition to accelerating the digestion and absorption of imported technology and independent innovation, we also need technical "spare tires" for emergencies.
It should be reminded that the self-control of the industrial chain supply chain does not mean self-sufficiency and behind closed doors. We must adhere to the new development concept of giving priority to domestic large circulation and promoting domestic and international dual circulation, and realize the improvement of independent and controllable ability in the process of opening up to the outside world at a higher level.
In other words, the independent control of industrial chain supply chain focuses on "ability". On the one hand, China should have the localization capability in key sectors of key industries, but it also needs to strengthen international cooperation, open up channels, and use international advanced technology for our own use. Only in this way can the goal of self-control of industrial chain and supply chain be realized, and the economic security of China can be effectively guaranteed.
Li Changan (scholar)