Go East Young Man
If in the near future you buy a car and find that the backseat is somehow more comfortable than the cars of previous generation, you probably should thank the Chinese.
As the Chinese car market passed the United States to be the biggest in the world, the taste of the Chinese customers start to shape how the cars are made. And one of them is comfortable backseat. The reason? "Because even the owners of compact cars in China frequently hire full-time chauffeurs". [1]
Same as here in Indonesia you say? To certain extent, yes, so we most probably would appreciate this kind of development (probably more than we appreciate cup-holders, which is created to follow the taste of American car buyers, who apparently like to eat and drink in the car...)
No wonder Dieter Zetsche, the chairman of Daimler, said "the center of gravity is moving eastwards".
The Economist magazine too, thinks it should not overlook the increasingly important Asia. It recently introduced a special column for Asia, called Banyan, to add to the existing columns on Europe, America and Britain.
"Is this not, after all, to be the Asian century? We think probably so". The magazine said. [2]
An Asian century. Let's hope they are right.
But hang on: Even if it is right, the praise probably goes to China and India.
Indonesia? So far so good, but the progress is not fast enough and not far enough. We can do better, and we should.
Would you believe if you hear that China is dead serious on building electric cars that it aims to turn the country into a leading producers of hybrid and all-electric vehicles in three years? Three years.
Where are we going in three years?
Do we know?
Or is this going to be our Carly Simon moment: when people sing the song of praise to Asia, that song is actually not about us...? [4]
---------------
Source:
[1] International Herald Tribune, April 21, 2009, Page 18: Chinese tastes reshaping global auto market
[2] The Economist, April 11th-17th 2009, page 53, Banyan: In the shade of the banyan tree
[3] The New York Times, China Vies to Be World’s Leader in Electric Cars
[4] Carly Simon on Youtube.
As the Chinese car market passed the United States to be the biggest in the world, the taste of the Chinese customers start to shape how the cars are made. And one of them is comfortable backseat. The reason? "Because even the owners of compact cars in China frequently hire full-time chauffeurs". [1]
Same as here in Indonesia you say? To certain extent, yes, so we most probably would appreciate this kind of development (probably more than we appreciate cup-holders, which is created to follow the taste of American car buyers, who apparently like to eat and drink in the car...)
No wonder Dieter Zetsche, the chairman of Daimler, said "the center of gravity is moving eastwards".
The Economist magazine too, thinks it should not overlook the increasingly important Asia. It recently introduced a special column for Asia, called Banyan, to add to the existing columns on Europe, America and Britain.
"Is this not, after all, to be the Asian century? We think probably so". The magazine said. [2]
An Asian century. Let's hope they are right.
But hang on: Even if it is right, the praise probably goes to China and India.
Indonesia? So far so good, but the progress is not fast enough and not far enough. We can do better, and we should.
Would you believe if you hear that China is dead serious on building electric cars that it aims to turn the country into a leading producers of hybrid and all-electric vehicles in three years? Three years.
Where are we going in three years?
Do we know?
Or is this going to be our Carly Simon moment: when people sing the song of praise to Asia, that song is actually not about us...? [4]
---------------
Source:
[1] International Herald Tribune, April 21, 2009, Page 18: Chinese tastes reshaping global auto market
[2] The Economist, April 11th-17th 2009, page 53, Banyan: In the shade of the banyan tree
[3] The New York Times, China Vies to Be World’s Leader in Electric Cars
[4] Carly Simon on Youtube.
posted by Indonesia Anonymus | 10:10 PM
2 Comments:
i'm not into nitpicking, but
comparing China with her strict and nearly draconian style of govermenship with Indonesia with early stage of democratization style of govermenship kind of comparing apple to orange.
China i'm sure could be actually reaching their goal very easily because that goal already sanctioned by CCP. Any possible dissent about CCP would be treated as high treason punishable by death.
Indonesia, already past that style of govermenship. Now Indonesia has to socializing the goverment plans through educating the masses via TV's talkshows, the press, speeches, etc. Not to mention there is always a certain element from the massess that already swore to opposing whatever coming from the current goverment. Far more difficult far more involved processes, far riskier.
Anonymous,
the apple to orange analogy is a fair assessment.
But if we may, we are not trying to compare. We are just offering a benchmark. We can use it to see how far we have gone (or how far we have been left behind).
Stark differences with China asides, we still think Indonesia can move a bit faster.
Wouldn't you say so?
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