Companies

China plays key role in Chile rescue

By Liu Yiyu and Zhou Siyu (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-10-18 10:21

Supporting technician Hao Heng, a service manager with Sany Chile Subsidiary, said the crane had been held in reserve in case a winch used in the rescue failed to perform on Oct 13 when the 33 trapped miners were being brought to safety. [Photo / China Daily]

In China, these large cranes were widely employed in the construction of nuclear stations. Europe, the United States and other developed economies have become increasingly interested in Sany's products, said Zhou.

Sany Group's clout has expanded in the machinery industry globally in recent years. A 60-million yuan research and development (R&D) center was set up in India this year. Another costing $60 million was built in Atlanta, and a third costing 100 million was established in Germany in 2009. They were designed to enhance product quality and meet local demand.

The company, based in Changsha, Hunan province, has pumped more than 2 billion yuan ($294.51 million) into building up manufacturing and R&D bases in the US, India and Brazil since 2007.

Its rival, Changsha Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology Development Co, is also setting up industry chain bases in South Asia, North America and Europe as Chinese brands develop better reputations abroad.

As one of the largest makers of machinery in the world, Chinese manufacturers are getting more and more recognition in both delivery speed and quality, aside from the traditional advantage in price.

China made machines are generally sold at prices 10 to 20 percent lower than foreign brands while the quality is becoming equivalent, industry analysts said.

Related readings:  Chile miners are free at last  Chile, China to expand trade ties  Chile, China must make full use of trade deal: president  Sany Heavy mulls Hong Kong IPO

Spanish wind equipment manufacturer Gamesa said of Chinese wind turbine manufacturers that they did "not only excel at the speed of delivery but also were competitive in quality".

Realizing the progress made by Chinese competitors, overseas manufacturers are being forced to make "new products at cheaper prices" in order to compete with their Chinese counterparts, said Gamesa Chairman Jorge Calvet.

Meanwhile, China's exports of machinery and electronic products registered a 34.5 percent increase for the first three quarters of this year. As domestic companies get increasingly competitive in the global market, surges are likely to continue, industry insiders said

"The primary reason for the export increase is that Chinese companies are becoming much stronger players in the global market. They not only boast advantages in terms of advanced techniques, but are also starting to earn worldwide recognition for their outstanding quality," said Liu Chun, secretary-general of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products.