Policy support key to manufacturing sector

I recently visited Columbus, Indiana, a small city of about 47,000 people in America's agricultural heartland. In many ways, it is a typical Midwestern small town, although it's known for modernist architecture and it happens to be the hometown of US Vice-President Mike Pence. However, the first thing that will strike any visitor is the high level of prosperity. I don't mean the people are rich - just that the city-center stores are all occupied, lots of workers are downtown, the streets are clean, and the buildings are maintained. This may have been common for American small towns a generation or two ago. But, it is far from typical today.

What's different about Columbus? It's the headquarters of Cummins Engine Company, a manufacturer of large engines and turbines for large trucks and construction equipment, helicopters, power plants, and factories. Within easy walking distance of the center of Columbus, you can find research facilities, a manufacturing plant, and the headquarters building. This means there are jobs available for skilled factory workers, engineers, and managers.

China's government reasserted the importance of manufacturing in the Oct 28-31 Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee - especially calling for modernization of the industrial chain and of applying science and technology to upgrading of the manufacturing sector. And, during a visit in September to the Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group Co, President Xi Jinping underlined the importance of developing the real economy through bolstering manufacturing to enhance high-quality economic growth. Xi said that while China has the world's largest manufacturing industry, efforts are still needed in realizing industrial transformation and upgrading through technical and industrial innovation to move the nation's manufacturing up the industrial chain.