TAIZHOU - CHINA'S MOTOR CITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 SHANGHAI 000737 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/CM, EAP/PD, AND INR/B DEPARTMENT FOR INR/EAP - CLARKE STATE PASS USTR FOR STRATFORD, WINTER, MCCARTIN, ALTBACH DOC FOR ITA/MAC - DAS KASOFF, MELCHER, MCQUEEN USPTO FOR INT'L AFFAIRS - LBOLAND E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON PGOV EINV ETRD PINR KIPR ELAB CH SUBJECT: TAIZHOU - CHINA'S MOTOR CITY REF: SHANGHAI 125 (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for dissemination outside USG channels; not for Internet distribution. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: During a November 5-6 visit to Taizhou in Zhejiang Province, Deputy Principal Officer (DPO) and econoff engaged Taizhou officials and Chinese automotive industry representatives on the area's booming automotive sector. Vice Director Wang Haiping from Geely Auto, one of China's largest, private, domestically-owned auto manufacturers, said the company hopes to export to the U.S. by 2010, targeting the economy sedan market. Taizhou Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau Director General Pan Xuhui noted Taizhou has a complete supply chain of auto parts that brings low costs to auto makers and success to the local industry. Vice Mayor Yuan Maorong credited Taizhou's economic prosperity to the fact that 95 percent of area's companies are in private hands (see Septel for additional biographical reporting and comments on Politburo Standing Committee member Xi Jinping). End Summary. Taizhou - China's Motor City -------------- ¶2. (U) Taizhou, a municipality situated in the middle of Zhejiang's coastal area, has a resident population of 5.6 million, as well as 1.5 million migrant workers. Taizhou's 2006 GDP reached USD 19 billion, 95 percent of which is generated by the private sector. Manufacturing is the major driver of the economy, with over 100,000 enterprises and 1.15 million employees. Chief among its manufacturing industries is the auto and auto parts sector with over 3,200 enterprises. In 2006, the value of the city's auto sector production reached over USD 6.7 billion. The Taizhou auto sector's primary product is economy sedans, but the city also produces a range of SUVs, pickups, tractors, motorcycles and auto parts. Taizhou is recognized by the Central Government as one of China's eight "National Automobile and Auto Parts Export Bases." The city exported over USD 300 million worth of autos and auto parts in 2006. Geely Automobile: All Private with Big Ambitions -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Geely Vice Director Wang Haiping outlined the company's current operations and aspirations. Founded in 1986, Geely Auto is now China's eighth largest auto manufacturer with roughly 6 percent of the market share. It is also China's first and largest, fully Chinese-owned, private auto manufacturer. In 2006, the company's total sales volume was nearly 150,000 units with an export volume of 20,000 units. Their biggest competitors in China are Chery Auto and BYD Automotive. Geely Auto is now listed on the Hongkong Stock Exchange, with the company owning 55 percent of its own shares, and a U.S. hedge fund, Century Fund, owning another 40 percent. ¶4. (SBU) The company has four manufacturing plants in Linhai, Ningbo, Taizhou, and Shanghai, and it hopes to build another 4 plants next year. The annual capacity is 200,000 vehicles, with roughly an equal capacity for engines and gear boxes. Current capacity utilization is 67 percent. In addition, the company produces 2-3 new models every year; its main model is an economy sedan. Additionally, the company produces China's first indigenous sports car and hopes to gradually tap into the high-end sedan market. Currently, the company targets the economy sedan market, keeping prices 1/2 that of Japanese cars and 2/3 of Korean cars. The Taizhou factory produces about 160 cars per day using a fair degree of automation. Wang claimed most of the equipment is of local origin. Most material is also sourced in Zhejiang Province, largely from the immediate area to ensure just-in-time delivery. Expanding Both Inside and Outside China -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Nationwide, the company has 120 dealerships and 400 customer service shops to support their sales. So far the SHANGHAI 00000737 002 OF 004 company has produced a cumulative total of 700,000 units, and it hopes to sell 2 million units by 2015. Currently the company exports mainly to the Middle East, South Africa, Eastern Europe, and South America. In addition, the company has assembly lines in the Ukraine, Indonesia, and Russia. Geely seeks to enter the U.S. market by 2010, at which time it hopes that 2/3 of its sales revenue will come from exports. Geely's Focus on Intellectual Property and Innovation -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Wang noted that innovation and intellectual property (IP) is an integral part of the company's strategy. The company has a staff of 800 people devoted to R&D, mostly working at its R&D Shanghai facility. One of its main projects is a "green car," which the company aims to deliver by 2008. The company owns 120 patents and was the first Chinese auto maker to develop its own gearbox. Wang acknowledged the company had one IPR dispute with Toyota due to an alleged trademark infringement. The company also receives government subsidies for filing patents, with the amount dependant on the complexity of the patent. Wang also claimed that government-owned Chery Auto receives bigger subsidies than Geely for filing patents. The company also files patents overseas. (Note: In a separate meeting, Taizhou Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau Director General Pan Xuhui said there is no IPR Complaint Center; the local IP Administration handles IPR complaints. There is also no specialized IPR court, but a local arbitration center handles many IPR cases.) Geely's Labor - Fairly Representative of the Industry -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The company engages roughly 1,200 employees, with approximately 40 percent from the local area; the rest come from throughout China. The company pays a minimum wage of 1,500 RMB (USD 200) and provides dormitories for employees. Employees are unionized, and the average age is 25. (Comment: Geely's factory seemed less labor intensive than Chery Auto, and Geely workers seemed less hurried than their counterparts in other auto factories. It appeared the workers also were not well equipped with safety gear such as goggles and helmets.) The Taizhou Auto Parts Industry -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The DPO and econoff also visited two typical auto parts manufacturers located on the Geely Auto Base. Privately owned Geely Electric produced wiring exclusive for Geely Auto, with 300 employees. The second company, Johnson He Da, produced seats exclusively for Geely Auto. It was recently bought by the U.S. company Johnson Controls, which is the largest auto seat manufacturer in China with 65 percent of the market share. The Automotive Sector - The Motor of the City -------------- - ¶9. (SBU) In a separate meeting, DPO Schuchat engaged Taizhou Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau Director General Pan Xuhui on Taizhou's economic growth and trade issues. The area's economy is mainly powered by manufacturing (over 50 percent). Of the manufacturing sector, the largest is autos and auto components. There are over 80,000 employees working in Taizhou's auto industry. Other major sectors include sewing machines, household electronics, plastic, and pharmaceuticals, ship building and shoe manufacturing. All the auto and auto parts companies are privately owned. There are also over 2,000 auto parts companies, of which 420 are authorized to export. In the first 9 months of 2007, Taizhou exported vehicles and auto components valued at over USD 253 million. Taizhou exports to over 123 countries, and except for tires, the city produces a complete line of auto components. Xu said the key to the Taizhou auto industry is its ability to offer a complete production chain. SHANGHAI 00000737 003 OF 004 A City with a Diverse Industry Base -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Taizhou is also home to the biggest sewing machine manufacturer in China. The machines are for factory use. Electric appliance production includes refrigerators and air conditioners. To support its plastic industry, Taizhou consumes 3 million tons of plastic material annually. Taizhou also produces active chemical ingredients for use in pharmaceuticals. Agriculture still represents 8-10 percent of the economy, mostly fishing, sea farming, and fruits. Although there is a small port, most of Taizhou's exports transit through Ningbo and Shanghai. An Economy Fueled Mostly by Domestic Investment -------------- -- ¶11. (SBU) Pan said there are very few foreign investors in Taizhou - enterprises are mostly fueled by Chinese investment. Hong Kong is Taizhou's biggest outside investor, followed closely by the EU. Cumulative outside investment is USD 300 million. Because Taizhou is relatively far from Shanghai, has limited resources (especially land),and has adequate local capital, it has not attracted much foreign investment. Urban per capita is RMB 19,200, and rural income per capita is RMB 8,700. Local Labor Issues -------------- ¶12. (SBU) According to Pan, Taizhou already has seen signs of shortages in both skilled and unskilled labor, especially skilled labor. Consequently, many Taizhou companies choose to locate their R&D Centers in Shanghai and Hangzhou. Taizhou has difficulty attracting highly skilled workers because the quality of life is below that of big cities and the city "lacks information resources." Taizhou Economic Success Reflects its Large Private Sector -------------- -------------- ¶13. (SBU) In a separate meeting, Executive Vice Mayor Yuan Maorong attributed the area's economic success to its large private sector. Most companies are private enterprises, so they are more efficient and produce higher quality products. Before China's reform policies were implemented, Taizhou was very poor. It had few natural resources. It also had very few state owned enterprises (SOE) because the Central Government did not want to risk investing heavily in a "front line area" so close to Taiwan, where it would be vulnerable in the case of military conflict. Hence, there was little need to push SOEs aside to provide room for the private sector when the economic reform began. Since the reform, Taizhou developed rapidly through "people's innovation, hard work, and creativity." That is, its main resource is human capital. "The people are hardworking and have high integrity," he said. ¶14. (SBU) The auto industry is the cornerstone of Taizhou's economy, according to Yuan. The municipality is also home to China's largest motorcycle manufacturer. Taizhou has a complete supply chain of auto parts that brings low cost and speedy delivery time to auto makers. About 20 companies from Taizhou plan to list next year on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. IPR and Environmental Issues -------------- ¶15. (SBU) The DPO raised the IPR infringement of the Lance Armstrong Foundation's trademark in Taizhou and the subsequent court case and appeal by the defendant. The DPO urged a fair and transparent resolution of the case. Although the Executive Vice Mayor was unaware of the case, he promised to look into it SHANGHAI 00000737 004 OF 004 and respond to the Consulate. The DPO also urged Taizhou to focus more on environmental protection. The Mayor responded that the city is in the process of conserving energy and pollution reduction. Comment -------------- ¶17. (SBU) Similar to Wuhu and Hefei in Anhui Province, Taizhou has closely tied its economy to the automotive industry. Its champion enterprise, Geely Auto, is also following the same model for development as Chery Auto in Anhui, with volume compensating for lower prices and plans to boost exports as the domestic market becomes more saturated. One industry analyst told us the biggest growth driver for China's auto industry is the gradual increase in household incomes and the "wealth effect from the market rally. " However, "fierce price competition will continue to squeeze margin for auto manufacturers in China." The rising RMB exchange rate will also lower the price of imported automobiles, putting more pressure on domestic vehicle manufacturers and making it more expensive for firms like Geely to export. Geely's biggest advantage going forward is flexibility as a private enterprise. The advantage, however, can also sometimes mean lack of government support (which Chery receives since the Anhui Government is the majority shareholder.) It also does not have a foreign partner to help with its foray into the international market (unlike Chery, which receives support from Chrysler in tech transfer and market access). As a result of these issues, the company may soon face a bottleneck in its growth plans. JARRETT