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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 )
For more information please contact NPES Shanghai Office
at 8621-64073300*219
Author: Che Mao Feng
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