China And Global Value Chains

Based on a theoretical framework of the global distribution of value chains, this book investigates China's evolving role in global value chains (GVCs) at the macro, meso and micro level. This book is a useful reference for those who are interested in acquiring insights into the development of China as the world's fastest-growing economy.

An accessible overview of political, economic, and strategic dimensions of global supply chains in a changing global political economy.

In less than three decades, China has emerged as the world's largest exporting nation with more than $2 trillion exports annually. China's quick rise as a leading exporter in the world is an unprecedented miracle. There are many theories explaining this miracle. This book adopts the global value chain (GVC) approach to analyze the Chinese export miracle over the last four decades. It focuses on the tasks rather than the gross export value and emphasizes the organizations of modern trade rather than the national comparative advantage. The GVC approach systematically explains how, in less than four decades China has evolved from a closed economy to the world's No. 1 exporting nation; why China, a developing country, has exported more high-technology products than labor-intensive products to the US; and why almost half of the US trade deficit has originated from China.The book identifies three spillover effects of GVCs that originated from brands, technology and product innovation, and distribution and retail networks of GVCs lead firms. It argues that China's deep integration with GVCs has been a decisive factor for China's emergence as the world's No.1 exporting nation and the champion of high-technology exports. In addition, this book uses iPhone trade and the operation of Apple, the largest factory-less American manufacturer, to explain how current trade statistics exaggerate China's exports to and its trade surplus with the US on the one hand, and underestimate US exports on the other hand.By using the experience of the Chinese mobile phone industry, the book argues that the GVC strategy can be a short-cut for developing countries to achieve industrialization and enable firms of developing countries to enter high-technology sectors despite their intrinsic disadvantages. At this end, the book also discusses the future trajectory of China-centered GVCs under the shadow of the US-China trade war and the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Trump has raised the intriguing question of bringing the manufacturing of companies like Apple back from China to the U.S. This book, however, argues that in this age of the knowledge-based economy and increased globalization, that value creation and distribution based on knowledge and innovation activities are at the core of economic development. The double-edged sword of globalization has transformed China’s economic development in the past few decades. Although China has benefitted from globalization and is now the second largest economy in the world, having become a global manufacturing power and the biggest exporter of high-tech products, it continues to be highly dependent on foreign sources of capital and technology. This book will explore the core of the Chinese economy from the perspective of the Global Value Chain (GVC), combining analysis of inward investment, international trade, Science and Technology and Innovation (S&TI) and economic development. Specifically, it investigates China’s evolving role in GVCs with some innovative Chinese companies emerging in the global market and China’s ongoing efforts to become an innovation-driven economy. China’s impressive economic record and experience provides an impressive role model for other developing countries.

International trade in the 21st century is characterized by the emergence and development of Global Value Chains. With the reform and opening-up deepening, China has become an important participant and practitioner of global value chains, a staunch supporter and defender of the multilateral trading system, and a contributor to and beneficiary of economic globalization. This book provides an insightful analysis of the pathways for China to upgrade in global value chains based on the country's opening strategy from the perspectives of tariff, trade facilitation, foreign direct investment, outward direct investment, opening-up of the service industry, and servitization in the manufacturing industry. It also offers best practices for theoretical and empirical studies in global value chains with sophisticated and widely-used econometric methods.

International trade in the 21st century is characterized by the emergence and development of Global Value Chains. With the reform and opening-up deepening, China has become an important participant and practitioner of global value chains, a staunch supporter and defender of the multilateral trading system, and a contributor to and beneficiary of economic globalization. This book provides an insightful analysis of the pathways for China to upgrade in global value chains based on the country's opening strategy from the perspectives of tariff, trade facilitation, foreign direct investment, outward direct investment, opening-up of the service industry, and servitization in the manufacturing industry. It also offers best practices for theoretical and empirical studies in global value chains with sophisticated and widely-used econometric methods.

China is inevitably becoming a giant in the world economy. All international companies in the United States have a presence in China, and many international Chinese companies have a presence in the United States. These companies face complex challenges in their global value chain: strategy, sales and marketing, supply chain management, information technology, and production. This book examines case studies from companies who have successfully navigated this new market environment. The book starts with strategy as a fundamental stage in the value chain. It then proceeds to explore globalization of sales and marketing, logistics and supply chain challenges of supporting global operations, necessary changes to the IT system capabilities as firms begin to address new markets, and finally, efficient and competitive production processes. The book will be valuable to managers who are looking for tools that have been used successfully by industry leaders, as well as to instructors who would like to use real-world practice to educate future managers and decision makers.

This report investigates the role of foreign direct investment (FDI) in helping developing countries participate in global value chains (GVCs). It combines the perspectives and strategies from three types of players: multinational corporations, domestic firms and governments. It aims to provide practical guidance for developing countries to develop strategies that use FDI to strengthen GVC participation and upgrading. The report has six main chapters: 1. FDI and GVCs. Assesses the trade-investment nexus and analyzes the effect of FDI in countries’ GVC participation and upgrading at the country level. 2. MNCs shape GVC development. Highlights MNCs' contribution to global economy and how their business strategies shape the evolution of GVCs. The chapter also compares MNCs' business strategies in terms of outsourcing and offshoring, risk mitigation and increasing market power across GVC archetypes. 3. Domestic firm perspectives on GVC participation. Looks at the various paths domestic firms can take to internationalize their production and trade. Investigates domestic firm characteristics that predict higher GVC participation, and the effect of GVC participation on firm performance. 4. Investment policy and promotion: what is in a government’s toolbox? Summarizes the various policy instruments governments have at their disposal to help attract MNCs to their country and facilitate GVC participation of domestic firms. 5. Integrating countries into GVCs. Draws on a range of case studies to illustrate how governments can develop coherent strategies and policy packages to integrate their countries into GVCs. 6. FDI and GVCs in the wake of COVID-19. Reflects the impact of COVID-19 on FDI and GVCs, the response from multinationals and suppliers, and the implications for GVC reconfiguration. In addition, there are seven case studies that offer more nuanced analysis on the GVC participation in selected countries and sectors: • Five qualitative case studies: Five countries have been selected that managed to use FDI to stimulate GVC participation using a range of approaches. By design, these five countries also cover five different GVC archetypes. These countries are: (1) Kenya (horticulture); (2) Dominican Republic (textiles); (3) Mauritius (tourism); (4) Malaysia (electronics); (5) China (software). • Two quantitative case studies: Rwanda, West-Bengal (India). These use a combination of firm- and transaction level datasets to study firm-level dynamics that explain the role of multinational and domestic firms across GVCs.