日企活用中国“内卷”提高全球竞争力

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the phenomenon of "involution" in China, which refers to excessive competition that is affecting the performance of Japanese companies operating in China. However, some Japanese firms are adapting by leveraging the competitive environment to enhance their global competitiveness, which they had previously diminished or exited from [2]. Group 1: Panasonic's Strategy - Panasonic's automatic door business, which started in the 1970s, exited the Japanese market in 2009 due to poor performance but found growth opportunities in China, particularly with the 2008 Beijing Olympics [5]. - The company has established a comprehensive system in China from development to manufacturing and sales, integrating reliability and safety technology from Japan with local cost competitiveness [5]. - Panasonic aims to increase its overseas sales ratio from approximately 60% to nearly 85% by 2030, targeting a position among the top three globally [6]. Group 2: Honda's Development - Honda is utilizing its Chongqing base to develop a core business for general engines, which were previously produced in Japan. The production has now shifted to Chongqing, Thailand, and India for efficiency [7]. - The Chongqing facility accounts for about 70% of the global output of general engines, benefiting from significant scale effects and digital transformation initiatives [7]. - Honda plans to replicate the successful cost competitiveness and quality improvements from its Chongqing base to other countries [7]. Group 3: Supply Chain Adaptation - Panasonic has begun transferring some functions of its global parts supplier selection to its Shanghai base, reversing the previous model of importing parts from Japan [8]. - Approximately 6,000 companies that have excelled in the competitive environment are now supplying cost-competitive parts to Panasonic's global operations [8]. - A survey indicates that the business conditions for Japanese companies in China are expected to worsen in the first half of 2025 compared to the second half of 2024, highlighting the need for Japanese firms to adapt and leverage the advantages of Chinese companies [8].