By Zhou Yi, Xu Zhaoyuan & Li Yan, Research Department of Industrial Economy, DRC

Research Report, No. 11, 2020 (Total 5755) 2020-2-1

Abstract: In the 21st century, China’s manufacturing industry is facing many challenges such as rising labor costs and consumption upgrade, and the key to addressing these issues lies in the swift promotion of high-quality development. Overall, Japan’s manufacturing industry has developed slowly whereas it has constantly kept an eye on high-end an high-quality production. Research findings show that the Japanese manufacturing industry has attached importance to improving the quality of products, promoting technological innovations, enhancing internationalized development and giving a boost to collaborative development of upstream and downstream industries, in which the Japanese government plays a major role. However, China is still struggling to improve the low-level production caused by the unfavorable environment for manufacturing industrial development and the disadvantages as a latecomer on technological research, costs, collaboration between upstream and downstream industries and market expansion. These problems have exerted negative influences and led to the above-mentioned results. In light of these facts, the paper proposes the following policy options for the high-quality development of China’s manufacturing industry. Relevant departments need to encourage domestic enterprises to participate in the division of labor in global value chains, cultivate an environment focusing on high quality performance of manufacturing industry with coordinated development between large, medium and small-sized enterprises and bring into play the role of the government and industrial associations.

Key words: manufacturing industry, high-quality development, policy options, Japan