Printing conveys valuable informations and data for cultural and education, science and technology, economy and finance, business and trade, and for other respects of society. How will it be in Shanghai for the next century? The Shanghai Municipal Government had made investigations and concluded on a plan to include printing industry as a metropolitan industry of Shanghai. This article is a discussion on "why" and "how" to proceed the way.

Basic Backgrounds

Shanghai is rapidly developing. It is planned to become an international metropolis and to be the economical, financial, and trade center of China. As a matter of fact, Shanghai owns advantages in many respects, i.e. strong industrial and economical foundation, ideal geographic location, convenient transportation, excellent cultural and educational facilities, and high science and technic level, etc. However, it also has problems to cope with. Otherwise its sustained development can't be assured. For example, the contradiction between limited land and massive population engenders big problems of traffic, housing, and hinders industrial or economical developments. Shanghai municipal government has taken significant measures and made every effort to solve or to ease the problems. Amazing improvements are seen everywhere. But the SMG knows clearly there is still a long way to go. Rational readjustment of Shanghai industries is one of the hard tasks. Although by the end of eighth 5-year plan, over 3 million sq. m. plants of 700 producers were removed out of the urban districts of Shanghai, the remaining burden is still heavy. Hence, Shanghai Economy Committee has raised a plan of reforming the metropolitan industries of Shanghai, among which printing industry is one of the six.

Principal Requirements of Shanghai Metropolitan Industries

Generally speaking, the metropolitan industries are derived from market changes since the globalisation of economy. It is in consequence of major competition changes in the world market, including more varieties, less volume, quicker delivery so as to meet the successive renewal of products and processing technologies. This is also a main target for readjustment of Shanghai metropolitan industries.

Speaking separately the metropolitan industry should accord 4 main characteristics:

1. To meet the ever-rising requirements of the urban citizens'living standard and service demands;
2. environmental friendly, and low energy consumption;
3. intelligence intensive and appropriately cooperated with labor intensive operations;
4. less land occupation.

Meanwhile, of course, it should meet the general plan and the development prospect of the city.

As the big industries are mainly to enhance the strength and level of Shanghai economy, the metropolitan industries are mostly oriented to meeting the requirements of the city's development and the improvements of citizens' living and working conditions.

Printing industry basically can conform to these requirements through proper adjustments or reformations. over 3 million sq. m. plants of 700 producers were removed out of the urban districts of Shanghai, the remaining burden is still heavy. Hence, Shanghai Economy Committee has raised a plan of reforming the metropolitan industries of Shanghai, among which printing industry is one of the six.

Principal Requirements of Shanghai Metropolitan Industries

Generally speaking, the metropolitan industries are derived from market changes since the globalisation of economy. It is in consequence of major competition changes in the world market, including more varieties, less volume, quicker delivery so as to meet the successive renewal of products and processing technologies. This is also a main target for readjustment of Shanghai metropolitan industries.

Speaking separately the metropolitan industry should accord 4 main characteristics:

1. To meet the ever-rising requirements of the urban citizens'living standard and service demands;
2. environmental friendly, and low energy consumption;
3. intelligence intensive and appropriately cooperated with labor intensive operations;
4. less land occupation.

Meanwhile, of course, it should meet the general plan and the development prospect of the city.As the big industries are mainly to enhance the strength and level of Shanghai economy, the metropolitan industries are mostly oriented to meeting the requirements of the city's development and the improvements of citizens' living and working conditions.Printing industry basically can conform to these requirements through proper adjustments or reformations.

Current conditions of Shanghai Printing Industry in Brief

Before Liberation, Shanghai was the major base of printing in China. Through half century, with the development of national economy and the renovation of printing industry, Shanghai printing industry has eradicated its unhealthy factors inherited from past feudal and colonial influences and grown up to a wholesome industry comprising of newspapers, publications, packaging, banknotes and bonds, and specialty printing.

Meanwhile, there are 1st class domestic printing equipment and materials researchers and producers and printing college or schools in Shanghai.

They are jointly making great contributions to Shanghai and to the whole nation as well. There are 4115 printing enterprises in Shanghai (excluding 1219 enterprises dispapproved for renewal of licence in the former half year of 1999), with 110,000 employees, annual turnover 9. 744 billion yuan (approx. one-tenth of the total turnover of China). Main product: offset printing, 24.25 million color reams, among which for books 5.66 million color reams; for newspapers 5.34 million color reams, the remaining part is mostly for packaging or others. Bookbinding about 3.21 million reams..

The production capacity for offset (calculated by 2 shifts, 22 average;work days per month) is about 36 million color reams. That means actual production rate is only about 67.4 %. By section, 345 publication printers;(including 10 newspaper printers), 1102 package printers, 44138 employees, 4,674 billion yuan turnover for 1998. Printers for others: 2668, with 34594 employees, and about 2 billion yuan turnover for 1998. (data;from personal report of Shanghai Press and Publication Bureau officer)

After all, since the reform and open policy of 1979, Shanghai printing industry expanded and upgraded both in production scale, equipment, technology and market, and realized the 16 words for technology advancement, i.e. laser phototypesetting, electronic color separations, off set printing for books, and in-line bookbinding.

Work done for the Shanghai Printing Industry to become a Metropolitan Industry of Shanghai

Although it is only in recent years that the directors of SMG outstandingly raised a plan for developing metropolitan industry, yet such instructions were implied in the early overall plan for readjustments of the constructions of Shanghai industries. Therefore, the directors of relative printing sections have taken some actions accordingly, such as:

1. From the view point of enhancing management, improving quality and efficiency, an overall control of the printing industry is enforced-with the rapid growth of Shanghai printing industry, some disadvantages are inevitably brought about, such as repeated constructions, surplus production capabilities, disordered competition, and declined profits. Consequently the relative organization has taken more strict control measures. No more bookprinters to be permitted for new licence. Moreover, 1219 printers were disqualified for renewal of licence during the re-examination of 1999, so to promote the internal quality of printers required for metropolitan industries.
2. Organizing big printing groups to shuffle and to reform their subordinate factories to procure scale-efficiency-such as 23 book printers and relative factories or companies were grouped together and became Shanghai Printing (group) Corp., Ltd. in 1995, and carried out a big reorganizing plan. Some big package-printing factories have also taken big strides on the path of reorganization. Moreover, Shanghai ZiJiang group is a new enterprise established in recent years which comprises of 4 factories, namely, Zi-Jiang Color Printing, Zi-hwa White Cat Color Printing, Zi-Dan Printing Business, and Zi-chuan Package Printing.  Annual turnover is about 600 million yuan.
3. While reorganization is being carried out, a plan of moving plants out of congested urban area to Pudong new districts is put forth. Especially among the package printing industries of Shanghai, Such as the 2 big printers known nation-wide as the NO. 7 and NO. 8 RenMin Printing Factories were moved out from the old town of Shanghai. They built new factories with big gardens at Pudong new areas, Their old places were swopped or kept as business reception spots at downtown. (To be continue )

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Author: Che Mao Feng