Most organizations I visit to talk about the future see China as one of the biggest competitors of the future. Managers sometimes really lie awake thinking about what to do with the fast growing economy of China. I think this is a worry which can be justified. But we must not think in fears but in opportunities. China is and will even become a bigger competitor for western companies in the near future. But we must learn from this and use this trend in our advantage. Let this inspire us.
But how do some scientist see the future of China. Here are some predictions from the well known Chinese thinktank of the Institute of Quantitative & Technical Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
- There will be a slowing number of growth of the Chinese population from 1.31 billion in 2005 to 1.47 billion in 2030 and 1.49 billion in 2035
- There will be a modest growth of the consumption of imported oil from 150 million in 2007 to more than 350 million tons annually in 2035. The modest increase is a result of more efficiency in energy usage.
- Thirty to forty new Chinese companies have entered the world's top 500 in between 2030-2035. Today (2007) there are 22 Chinese companies in the world's top 500.
- The number of internetusers will grow from 137 million in 2006 to 223 million in 2035. This will be approximately 70% of the total population.
-Â In 2006 there are 480 million mobile phones in China. The mobile phone market will not grow so much because of saturation and new technologies. There will be 542 million in 2035.
- Polution is in 2007 at it's peak. Policy and also public pressure will have their impact on the protection of the environment and this will decrease the pollution in China. Technology will also have a major role in solving the problems round polution.
How do you think about the future of China?
More information(source):
Businessweek
EXTRA FIELD-5:future, toekomst, China, 2035, trends, scenario