Modularization, Supplier System and Production System in the China's Automobile Industry

随着中国加入世界贸易组织(WTO)，中国汽车工业由政府保护市场阶段向全球竞争阶段转变。加入世贸组织将对中国的汽车工业产生很大的影响，如上所述，中国加入世贸组织后，中国汽车市场将大幅开放，中国的汽车市场将比日本汽车市场更具竞争力。或许可以这样说，中国汽车业是“中国汽车市场的全球竞争”。汽车零部件行业与整车装配一样具有竞争力。例如，在板材制造商方面，江森自控、李尔、麦格纳、威斯蒂安、阿拉科、塔基斯和高岛屋-新松开始在中国生产。美国和欧洲的汽车制造商和系统供应商加快了模块化战略的步伐。模块化意味着将更大单元中的子组件外包给供应商。例如，大众在巴西的雷森德、捷克的博乐斯拉夫和前东德的莫泽尔建立了基于模块化概念的新工厂。美国和欧洲的汽车制造商和系统供应商试图在中国引入模块化。例如，威斯蒂安公司与上海汽车工业(集团)有限公司成立了一家合资企业--上海延锋汽车装饰系统公司。该公司为上海大众和上海通用提供集成驾驶舱模块。此外，该公司还与TRW成立了一家合资企业，并为该驾驶舱模块提供安全气囊。如上所述，毫不夸张地说，中国汽车业进入了“国内汽车市场全球竞争”的新阶段。

By the accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Chinese automotive industry transforms from the stage of protected market by the government to the stage of the global competition. Accession to the WTO would have big impacts on China's auto industry.In the result of the substantial liberalization of the Chinese auto market based on the WTO accession as mentioned above, the China's auto market become more competitive than Japanese auto market. Perhaps it is right to say that Chinese auto industry is featured as "global competition inside the Chinese automotive market".The auto parts industry is competitive as the same as vehicle assembly. For instance, in the case of sheet manufacturers, Johnson Controls, Lear, Magna, Visteon, Araco, Tachies, and Takashimaya-Nippatsu started production in China.The U.S. and European automakers and system-suppliers geared up the modularization strategy. The modularization means the outsourcing of subassemblies in larger units to suppliers. For instance, Volkswagen built the new plants based on the concept of modularization in Resende (Brazil), Bole Slav (Czech), and Mosel (former East Germany).The U.S. and European automakers and system-suppliers try to introduce the modularization in China. For instance, Visteon established a joint venture, Shanghai Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems, with Shanghai Automotive Industry (Group). This company supplies the integrated cockpit module to Shanghai VW and Shanghai GM. In addition, this company establishes a joint venture with TRW and supplies the airbag for this cockpit module.As mentioned above, it is no exaggeration to say that the Chinese auto industry entered the new stage of as "global competition inside domestic auto market".