1. Although there is great improvement in this industry, the difference is still obvious

In the past 20 years, Chinese screen-printing has been developed continuously from the beginning. There are many successes in this industry, which has attracted great attention of many people. Varieties and quality of product as well as the level of equipments have been greatly improved with the promotion of high and new technology, basing upon traditional process. Marketing network and serving field have also been expanded. There come many screen-printing specialists after professional training. Friendly symbiosis with other screen-printing craft brothers in Asia-Pacific region has been established, promoting the communication between foreign and domestic markets. The total production value of screen-printing industry in China has been quickly increased with annual growth rate of 18% since 1980s', which is highly above those figures in gravure industry and relief printing industry.

But the difference is still very obvious when comparing Chinese screen-printing industry with some developed regions in Euramerican and Japan. These differences are represented in the aspects of enterprise's scale, brand name's popularity, serving market, technical level as well as employee team. In 1999 the total production value of Chinese printing industries was 150 thousand million RMB(less than 20 thousand million USD), and that of the whole world has reached 750 thousand million USD. The total production value of Chinese screen-printing in 1999 was only about 7 thousand million RMB, which accounted for less than 5% of 150 thousand million RMB.

2. Chinese screen-printing industry is still in its growing period

Each industry must go through four phases from the beginning to the end. This four phrase are penetrating into market, growing up, maturation, declining. Knowing the current phrase of an enterprise's developing and the outer circumstance has great meaning for making a correct business decision.

There are more than ten thousand screen printers in China now and the marketing competition is becoming more and more intense. The profit of screen-printing products is also shrinking gradually. Many screen printer are looking forward to cooperate with each others, hoping to succeed with larger scale and stronger ability. From these industrial features of Chinese screen printing, we can get a conclusion: The Chinese screen-printing industry is still in its growing period, gradually transition to its autumn.

3. Relative advantages and bright future of Chinese screen-printing industry

Although there is great difference between Chinese screen-printing and that of foreign countries in the ways of enterprises' scale, brand name, market as well as technical level, it still has many relative advantages, such as the highest increasing trend, plenty work force, cheap labour cost. In addition, screen-printing has many strong points when comparing it with traditional printing. Under the rapid development of economics, these advantages and strong points as well as advertising, packaging, electronic industry will further promote Chinese screen-printing to develop.

Part II: Discussion of countermeasure against entering into WTO

Chinese entering into WTO will bring much benefit to screen-printing industry and accelerate the growth of it. Considering the screen-printing industry of the whole world, China has certain difference. But if we recognize this difference clearly and take some effective measures, we do believe that Chinese screen-printing will definitely succeed in the whole world. Firstly we must begin with the exterior circumstance of the industry and enterprises' interior condition. Secondly we should take some strategy of brand name's popularizing and regard this strategy as the key point of breaking through.

1. Properly facing the opportunities and challengesWe should speed up the adjustment of Chinese printing industry's structure.

Regarding the high fineness and high value-added screen-printing as the important direction for development, and help it growing faster and more prosperously. However for those common printing process which has many repetition working and overmuch finishing ability, we should readjust them.

Chinese screen-printing industry also should be readjusted. We should avoid low level and small-scale production while support the excellent and the strong. Large-scale screen printers with strong ability will be the first targets to support. After pushing the recombining of these printers, large-scale production will bring greater efficiency. It will be benefit for those strong printers to compete in the international markets.

2. Enhance the establishment of printers' own production and management

Strengthening the repair of enterprises' interior condition to establish good systems with definite targets, clear right and responsibility as well as scientific management. The level of enterprises' production and management still need to be increased. The running and management of printers will go through from out-of-order status to ordered period, and from ordered development to systematic management, and finally entering into the high-speed developing period. So the strength of printers in the international competition will be certainly increased. We think this is basis for printers to survive in today's market.

In addition, we think employees' ability should be attached more importance and be exerted sufficiently because it is really essential for printers to continuously develop. Various screen-printing specialists can be trained out through multi-channel and multi-layer. Speeding up the establishment of person team with ability is the important guarantee for printers' continuously development.

3. Pushing the popularity of brand name's strategy to create high-class screen-printing products

Brand name's strategy will be the breaking-through point for our work. We should encourage and support some large-scale screen printers which are well-known in this industry and have good basis to develop. These printers should try their best to increase products' quality and class by using advanced technology and new process. Furthermore, they can recur to the marketing network of famous screen-printing agents all over the world, and then integrate human resource, technology and information resource etc。This kind of integration will help them marketing some domestic screen prints into the whole world, and finally create a famous brand of domestic screen prints in the international markets, which will consolidate Chinese position as world finishing center.