Page 40 - ABFI March 19 issue

couNtry focus

chINa focusINg

IN PremIum foods

ike birds pecking is almost certain in 2019
at grain, a dozen thanks to new momentum
Lrobotic arms pressed accumulated in the transition."
components onto a POS The transition Huang
machine, checked its functions referred to is now the order
and packed it into a box under of the day across China. In
the supervision of a human provincial-level "two sessions"
worker. Next to the robots, that preceded the national
it took over 60 workers to event, a majority of Chinese
assemble the same device, provinces lowered their
used to process card and GDP growth targets for 2019
mobile payments. and stressed high-quality
The two juxtaposed development with promises
assembly lines at the to nurture new industries and
Kingtronics factory offer upgrade traditional ones.
a glimpse into the robotic Despite the temporary loss
revolution sweeping eastern uncertainties posed by trade growing challenges and of GDP tempo, Yan Linhu,
China's Fujian Province. Like friction with the United States. downward pressure on the deputy general manager of
China's other coastal regions, About three years after economy. the company, spoke highly of
rising labour costs and China initiated the supply- China's economy grew the industry's move towards a
dwindling foreign orders are side reform to restructure 6.6 percent in 2018, above the healthier development model
galvanizing labour-intensive and upgrade its industries, official target of around 6.5 featuring a higher input of
factories into actions. economists say new percent, but lower than the innovation.
Instead of shrinking momentum is emerging 6.8 percent growth registered Chinese cities are also
production, Kingtronics chose from the transitional labour, in 2017. weighing in on the wave
to deploy more robots, a bolstering confidence for Apart from the threats of transformation with
strategy that not only raised the "two sessions" that will of rising protectionism supportive policies.
the company's profits but outline China's development abroad, officials and In 2017, the municipality
also allowed the Hong Kong in 2019, a "key year" in its experts also point to flaws ended a 15-year streak of
- invested firm to expand its goal to build a moderately in the domestic economy, double-digit growth after
business by designing and prosperous society in all including an oversupply of its GDP growth slowed to
selling automatic equipment respects. low-end products and lack 9.3 percent, which further
to manufacturers that cannot As the annual sessions of of innovation. This year's dropped to 6 percent last year,
afford imported robots. China's national legislature "two sessions," where the as a saturated domestic car
"We anticipate a market and political advisory body in government work report for market dragged down the
that has no boundaries, as early March move to identify 2019 will be released, are city's auto output.
many medium- and small- new engines to turbocharge expected to renew calls for Seeking a change, the
sized enterprises welcome the world's second-largest deepening the supply-side Chongqing government in
automated solutions," said economy, how to help such reform to move the industry 2018 inked an agreement
Henry C. Tseng, Chairman market players tide over the up the value chain. to house Alibaba's regional
of the company in the city of tumultuous transition period "Traditional export- headquarters, hoping to
Zhangzhou. is also a heated topic. oriented companies faced benefit from the internet
Defying the current Rewards of Change considerable difficulties giant's cloud computing
economic downtrend to During a State Council during the industrial and AI prowess. It followed
register robust growth, meeting in January, Chinese transformation in 2018," another deal between the city
Kingtronics and many other Premier Li Keqiang said said Huang Maoxing, an and Tencent, another tech
private firms point to the the country's development economics professor at Fujian heavyweight, to cooperate
microeconomic tenacity of faces a more complicated Normal University. "But on big data and smart
China as it struggles with environment this year, with after the twinge, a rebound technologies.
an economic slowdown and Data has revealed

40 March 2019 AgriBusiness & Food i ndustr y