„Ex oriente lux” – or – the „Yellow Peril”
von Heinz Gupta
Both sentences can be interpreted in many different ways, given a religious meaning, ideologically, historically or economically.
For the German engineering industry, the car makers and the chemical industry, whose markets in North America and Europe have crumbled, there has been light in the East, where their products have been increasingly accepted.
In contrast to the many manufacturers of finished goods, who are experiencing hardship because of cheap goods from Asia.
China has recorded steady economic growth of about 8 % in recent years, while, thanks to the financial crash, markets in the US and Europe have collapsed.
India and other Asian countries have been no different.
In China, economic growth was based on the government’s restrictive monetary policy (one positive aspect of a dictatorship), which prevented speculation or kept it within narrow bounds.
There is also a tremendous hunger for a better standard of living for the growing population and their ant-like hard work ethic. These trends are, in principle, apparent in most Asian countries.
Asians admire the technical accomplishments of European countries, especially Germany – still!
For them it is “ex occidente lux“, despite their growing self confidence and their own growing achievements.
This is the reason why we have launched a new Chinese journal for the rubber and plastics industries.
We were able to introduce RFP for China, recently at the China Rubber Conference in Qingdao.
With this magazine, we aim to establish a stronger presence for know-how from German and other European companies in China and promote cooperation.
Your Heinz Gupta