CARS

A Lean, Green Detroit

China is now the world's largest market for cars; Chinese leaders aim to own the biggest piece of it.

By Melinda Liu | NEWSWEEK
Published Apr 25, 2009
From the magazine issue dated May 4, 2009

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  • Posted By: mimbru @ 06/08/2009 10:30:03 AM

    We doug our grave, now it is time to lie in it.

  • Posted By: martialguy @ 06/01/2009 7:29:45 AM

    If GM difficulty could provide any lesson for the whole macro-economy; it would be a lesson of humility. Once it was the largest auto company; now it is on the verge of bankrupcy and overtaken by a company once was not even ranked second. It is all because of complacency, lack of vision, and low adaptability.
    The same situation occurs in many other arenas. There are more than 19 millions vacant forclosed properties; enough to fill the whole population of Canada. And who can guess how we adapt? More restricted travelling and immigration are among those adaptations.
    If GM difficulty could provide any lesson for the whole macro-economy; massive investor-class travelling and immigration should be encouraged. It is probably the quickest way to turn this massive problem around and turn weakness into strength. If we have a nice but empty house and money wants to come in; we do not close the door; and ask what color it is or where it comes from. We just need to open the door.

  • Posted By: MichaelX @ 05/21/2009 3:56:15 PM

    How about they take Detroit? Literally, buy the town,and make it the biggest plant in the world.
    The only thing that will save Detroit besides just blowing up the salt mines, and letting it sink.

  • Posted By: jbz7879 @ 05/16/2009 10:11:58 AM

    i hope and pray that CHINA BECOMES THE WORLD LEADER IN EVERYTHING -BECAUSE USA IS A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT to this plaNET AND OBAMA himself the biggest lie in the history of usa and it only took him 100 days to become another BUSH -
    A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING -THE PATHETIC GET PEDANTIC AND PREPOSTEROUS IN THEIR POMPOSITY -AND this was a man who said he never lied -it just proves that america is ruled by corporates and not democracy at all -and i will certainly prefer a socialist regime from russia or china to the present us admin - I HOPE GM GOES BUST SOON TOO AND ALONG WITH IT THE REST OF THE BARBARIANS

    • Posted By: zerozen @ 05/18/2009 7:35:15 PM

      Haha, Barbarians? How much the commie middle kingdom paid you to post Harmonious Peaceful Rise of China while every people around the world you consider barbarians including the USA. yeah right, peaceful rise my eggroll. You really starting to show your true color ethnocentrism/sinocentrism. We you so called barbarians defeated this kind of people during WWII.

  • Posted By: memo2 @ 05/05/2009 9:04:48 AM

    I still support GM, because is the trade mark of American Car but on the other hand how the American Industry in General can go back with reasonable atomovil value on the actual market and the same time Detroit provide the right tools to his supplier's or manufacturing part's, I understand kind of dificult and expense situation but all can be done here with out get all these part's from outside we still can build better vehicles with better technology, I still wonder if some USA scientist only work for NASA, what a waste of space and mind's you know ?.....Just a comment and said what I think !......

  • Posted By: wcreader @ 05/01/2009 11:41:50 PM

    "A Lean, Green Detroit" in the center kindom : China, not a bad idea. However, fro the size and population of China, I wish that China should first to put more money to continue to improve the public transportation, in fact, they have done a good job on that already, then, to secondary, to increase the use of the family cars. That will be really green and more substainable.

  • Posted By: comradeyap @ 04/28/2009 7:44:53 PM

    You Americans crack me up; so much anger because the Chinks have beatened you to the 21st century. My dear Americans, for you SEEING IS NOT BELIEVING. You don't believe that China has sold more cars in China than has in America, all 4 months in a row !

    Believe me it is true and to lessen the jealousy that is coming from the USA China has just today signed contracts with American Companies for US$10 billion. Remember it is more easy to sell to the rich than to sell to those who do not have money.

    I had thought that China will over take the USA by year 2030 but by jove, we have done it even as we speak ! When Mainland and Taiwan completes their rappoachment, we CHINKS will be 30% stronger and like the Communist would like to say, year on year.

    • Posted By: othmar brunner @ 04/30/2009 10:41:52 AM

      what took yoiu so long after all you have 4 times the population of the USA? Maybe all American companies operating in China should shut down their businesses in China which woiuld throw China into a depression.
      Othmar Brunner Canada

      • Posted By: Paul B @ 05/01/2009 12:42:39 PM

        China's increased demand for cars is not bad news for Americans or Canadians. Some portion of those cars and car parts will come from North America. Indeed China is one of the few growth markets for North American manufacturers right now.

        Paul Bove

  • Posted By: reader8288 @ 04/30/2009 5:31:33 AM

    This report is about cars, not about any political or military affairs. Not understanding why some American are excessively angry toward every achievement China has made, I have to reckon the reason behind the anger. And regretably, I, after carefully reading and analyzing every post below, am compelled to conclude that what lies behind the rage, hatred, contempt, fancy, and above all, jelousness, is just the ultranationalism for which these people have long blamed the Chinese.

    • Posted By: Bonan @ 04/30/2009 2:46:26 PM

      I am american and agree with you 100 %. It's only about cars and nothing else, GM should go to China and learn a bit.

      Bonan, TX

  • Posted By: Zatoichi @ 04/30/2009 2:12:15 PM

    Not if the swine flu knocks off a few billion Chinese first.

  • Posted By: YOUSOCRAZY @ 04/28/2009 11:13:45 AM

    Don't fret, Obamas' think tank of tax exempt polititians will figure out how to package a bailout for all corporations in all countries!

  • Posted By: Trooper101st @ 04/28/2009 9:25:57 AM

    The PLA owns alot of businesses, it has its filthy hands in almost EVERYTHING. DO NOT BUY CHINESE goods. Our $ is arming thier military. F-ing Chi-coms are not stupid.

  • Posted By: Trooper101st @ 04/28/2009 9:23:22 AM

    Just Google Brazil Sugar Cane Ethanol, it will tell you the whole, sad story. Big Oil has RUINED this country, and we were being led by the nose by a CINC that was an oil man. Its not rocket science...

  • Posted By: Trooper101st @ 04/28/2009 9:16:36 AM

    Man, never thought I would see the day when US automakers were outsmarted by the Chinese. Fat, greedy executives, in cahoots with Big Oil, fumbled on the way down the field. They are so behind, they will NEVER catch up. Obama should fire everyone of them. R&D in alternative fuels has been foiled by oil co.s and Detroit, now they are paying the piper. Why is BRAZIL so energy independent, while we spend $ on corn ethanol, which is as expensive to produce than wat its worth? SUGAR CANE ETHANOL, which has almost triple the octane of corn ethanol, is why in Brazil, gas is about 60 cents a gallon. Check those figures, coz this was a year ago. GREED will ruin this country.

  • Posted By: Christian83 @ 04/26/2009 10:27:04 PM

    The future for autos made in China? I don't think so. Chinese cars will be maybe successful on the Chinese market or on the US market because American car makers have failed. In Europe it is completely different, German and French car markers are already prepared with cheap brands like Skoda and Dacia. Even Toyota is not that successful in Europe. And once the oil price will hit new records again in some years the boom of the Chinese car market will be over fast. All the projections are based on unlimited resources. But they are not. India`s growth may be slower but it is more sustainable.

    • Posted By: ChristianAmerican @ 04/27/2009 10:05:21 AM

      I don't know where you get your information on China. You are worng. The gas price in China is Higher than that in the US. India is a mess; have you been there? India is a poster boy of the Third World - you can see or sense it upon your arrival at one of its international airports.

      • Posted By: Christian83 @ 04/28/2009 8:11:18 AM

        I do not talk about the gas price nowadays. In some years already the oil price will be probably about 150 or even 200$ per Barrel. Especially China with its resource intensive industry will be hit hard.

  • Posted By: peggypwr1 @ 04/27/2009 2:41:18 PM

    Why can't India, a Turd World Country, use some of its $$$ to build a decent sewage system!!?? I mean, would it kill them to do it? It would provide lots of jobs and the thought of not seeing some disgusting, filthy Indian defecate on the street is a bonus! I mean Indians are very nice people, and I feel safer in Indian cities that some cities here in the US but c'mon, use a toilet!

  • Posted By: airglow @ 04/27/2009 2:28:09 PM

    Wow, after reading this article I'm convinced the west has it wrong. We all need to become command and control dictatorships with a big dollop of Capitalism thrown in like China so we can thrive. The West has it all wrong; Dictatorship with Capitalism is the winning combination of government and economic systems!

  • Posted By: ctruskey @ 04/27/2009 2:23:03 PM

    Wow I just read an article on FoxNews.com about the Ford Fiesta and it is totally different then what you say here abou the car. It doesn't even mention China.

  • Posted By: Meejos @ 04/27/2009 12:52:20 AM

    ???Even at home, for example, Chery's popular QQ compact suffers from a perception of being too flimsy to be safe???especially after a photo circulated on the Internet, showing a QQ wedged between two buses, squashed like a soft-drink can.???
    It was not a QQ, it was a model call Qiyun SQR7160.

  • Posted By: Meejos @ 04/27/2009 12:48:37 AM

    "Even at home, for example, Chery's popular QQ compact suffers from a perception of being too flimsy to be safe???especially after a photo circulated on the Internet, showing a QQ wedged between two buses, squashed like a soft-drink can."
    It was not a QQ, it was a model called Qiyun SQR7160.

  • Posted By: comradeyap @ 04/26/2009 9:02:04 PM

    Hei Harrylogy why does China need 20 years to worry the Americans ? You Americans already owe China US$2trillion, is that not worrying enough for you; ibn a time when the USA is already BROKE ? 20 years? not on your life. Right now is more true.

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