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posted the following African proverb； translated into Mandarin； on his factory floor：
Every morning in Africa； a gazelle wakes up。
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed。
Every morning a lion wakes up。
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death。
It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle。
When the sun comes up； you better start running。
I don't know who is the lion and who is the gazelle； but I do know this： Ever since
the Chinese joined the WTO； both they and the rest of the world have had to run faster
and faster。 This is because China's joining the WTO gave a huge boost to another form
of collaboration… offshoring。 Offshoring； which has been around for decades； is
different from outsourcing。 Outsourcing means taking some specific； but limited；
function that your company was doing in…house…such as research； call centers； or
accounts receivable…and having another company perform that exact same function for
you and then reintegrating their work back into your overall operation。 Offshoring；
by contrast； is when a company takes one of its factories that it is operating in
Canton； Ohio； and moves the whole factory offshore to Canton； China。 There； it
produces the very same product in the very same way； only with cheaper labor； lower
taxes；
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subsidized energy； and lower health…care costs。 Just as Y2K took India and the world
to a whole new level of outsourcing； China's joining the WTO took Beijing and the
world to a whole new level of offshoring…with more companies shifting production
offshore and then integrating it into their global supply chains。
In 1977； Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping put China on the road to capitalism； declaring
later that 〃to get rich is glorious。〃 When China first opened its tightly closed
economy； companies in industrialized countries saw it as an incredible new market
for exports。 Every Western or Asian manufacturer dreamed of selling its equivalent
of 1 billion pairs of underwear to a single market。 Some foreign companies set up
shop in China to do just that。 But because China was not subject to world trade rules；
it was able to restrict the penetration into its market by these Western companies
through various trade and investment barriers。 And when it was not doing that
deliberately； the sheer bureaucratic and cultural difficulties of doing business in
China had the same effect。 Many of the pioneer investors in China lost their shirts
and pants and underwear… and with China's Wild West legal system there was not much
recourse。
Beginning in the 1980s； many investors； particularly overseas Chinese who knew how
to operate in China； started to say； 〃Well； if we can't sell that many things to the
Chinese right now； why don't we use China's disciplined labor pool to make things
there and sell them abroad？〃 This dovetailed with the interests of China's leaders。
China wanted to attract foreign manufacturers and their technologies…not simply to
manufacture 1 billion pairs of underwear for sale in China but to use low…wage Chinese
labor to also sell 6 billion pairs of underwear to everyone else in the world； and
at prices that were a fraction of what the underwear companies in Europe or America
or even Mexico were charging。
Once that offshoring process began in a range of industries…from textiles to consumer
electronics to furniture to eyeglass frames toauto parts…the only way other companies
could compete was by offshoring to China as well （taking advantage of its low…cost；
high…quality platform）； or by looking for alternative manufacturing centers in
Eastern Europe； the Caribbean； or somewhere else in the developing world。
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By joining the World Trade Organization in 2001； China assured foreign companies that
if they shifted factories offshore to China； they would be protected by international
law and standard business practices。 This greatly enhanced China's attractiveness
as a manufacturing platform。 Under WTO rules； Beijing agreed…with some time for
phase…in…to treat non…Chinese citizens or firms as if they were Chinese in terms of
their economic rights and obligations under Chinese law。 This meant that foreign
companies could sell virtually anything anywhere in China。 WTO membership status also
meant that Beijing agreed to treat all WTO member nations equally； meaning that the
same tariffs and the same regulations had to apply equally for everyone。 And it agreed
to submit itself to international arbitration in the event of a trade dispute with
another country or a foreign company。 At the same time； government bureaucrats became
more customer…friendly； procedures for investments were streamlined； and Web sites
proliferated in different ministries to help foreigners navigate China's business
regulations。 I don't know how many Chinese actually ever bought a copy of Mao's Little
Red Book； but U。S。 embassy officials in China told me that 2 million copies of the
Chinese…language edition of the WTO rule book were sold in the weeks immediately after
China signed on to the WTO。 To put it another way； China under Mao was closed and
isolated from the other flattening forces of his day； and as a result Mao was really
a challenge only to his own people。 Deng Xiaoping made China open to absorbing many
of the ten flatteners； and； in so doing； made China a challenge to the whole world。
Before China signed on to the WTO； there was a sense that； while China had opened
up to get the advantages of trade with the West； the government and the banks would
protect Chinese businesses from any crushing foreign competition； saidJack Perkowski
of ASIMCO。 〃China's entry into the WTO was a signal to the community outside of China
that it was now on the capitalist track for good；〃 he added。 〃Before； you had the
thought in the back of your mind that there could be a turning back to state communism。
With WTO； China said； 'We are on one course。'〃
Because China can amass so many low…wage workers at the unskilled； semiskilled； and
skilled levels； because it has such a voracious appetite for factory； equipment； and
knowledge jobs to keep its people
employed； and because it has such a massive and burgeoning consumer market； it has
become an unparalleled zone for offshoring。 China has more than 160 cities with a
population of 1 million or more。 You can go to towns on the east coast of China today
that you have never heard of and discover that this one town manufacturers most of
the eyeglass frames in the world； while the town next door manufacturers most of the
portable cigarette lighters in the world； and the one next to that is doing most of
the computer screens for Dell； and another is specializing in mobile phones。 Kenichi
Ohmae； the Japanese business consultant； estimates in his book The United States of
China that in the Zhu Jiang Delta area alone； north of Hong Kong； there are fifty
thousand Chinese electronics component suppliers。
〃China is a threat； China is a customer； and China is an opportunity；〃 Ohmae remarked
to me one day in Tokyo。 〃You have to internalize China to succeed。 You cannot ignore
it。〃 Instead of competing with China as an enemy； argues Ohmae； you break down your
business and think about which part of the business you would like to do in China；
which part you would like to sell to China； and which part you want to buy from China。
Here we get to the real flattening aspect of China's opening to the world market。
The more attractive China makes itself as a base for off…shoring； the more attractive
other developed and developing countries competing with it； like Malaysia； Thailand；
Ireland； Mexico； Brazil； and Vietnam； have to make themselves。 They all look at what
is going on in China and the jobs moving there and say to themselves； 〃Holy catfish；
we had better start offering these same incentives。〃 This has created a process of
competitive flattening； in which countries scramble to see who can give companies
the best tax breaks； education incentives； and subsidies； on top of their cheap labor；
to encourage offshoring to their shores。
Ohio State University business professor Oded Shenkar； author of the book The Chinese
Century； told BusinessWeek （December 6； 2004） that he gives it to American companies
straight： 〃If you still make anything labor intensive； get out now rather than bleed
to death。 Shaving 5％ here and there won't work。〃 Chinese producers can make the same
adjustments。 〃You need an entirely new business model to compete；〃 he said。
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China's flattening power is also fueled by the fact that it is developing a huge
domestic market of its own。 The same BusinessWeek article noted that this brings
economies of scale； intense local rivalries that keep prices low； an army of engineers
that is growing by 350；000 annually； young workers and managers willing to put in
twelve…hour days； an unparalleled component base in electronics and light industry；
〃and an entrepreneurial zeal to do whatever it takes to please big retailers such
as Wal…Mart Stores； Target； Best Buy and J。C。 Penney。〃
Critics of China's bus