Across the West, China is often presented as a convenient explanation for industrial failure. When margins shrink, innovation stalls or factories lose ground, the finger quickly points east. Chinese products are cheaper, they arrive faster, and their quality is often good enough — sometimes more than good enough. At times we even accuse China of dumping goods into our markets.
But this is hardly a new story. Western industry has been talking about Chinese competition for years. The question, therefore, is not whether China is competing. It clearly is. The real question is why we still struggle to respond.
Of course, the differences are real. Western economies and China do not operate under the same political, social or labour conditions. The West has democracies, legal safeguards and public debate. China has a state-guided form of capitalism, long-term planning and the discipline of national five-year programmes. It also controls a large share of the world's rare earth materials, essential for the electric transition. For example, in its latest planning cycle, China has made the robotisation of production a strategic objective, supported by regional robot training centres. It would be unwise to assume they will not deliver.
Yet none of this should become an excuse for Western failures. We still have formidable strengths: installed industrial bases, world-class research, engineering capability, capital, skilled people and a large home market. What we lack is not talent. What we lack is speed. Too many innovation and development processes have become slow, bureaucratic and expensive. They consume resources without producing enough momentum.
That can change. Development cycles that now take a year should move in weeks, years in months. Not by working harder in the old system, but by organising differently: sharper governance and steering, new forms of collaboration, clearer contracts inside and outside the company, ecosystem-based roadmaps, and intelligent collaborative use of AI. No free rides, no hobby projects, no vague promises — only commitments.
And of course, speed and cost management will also mean more alliances with Chinese companies. If the West cannot beat the competition, it should learn, partner and build where interests overlap. Combining western knowledge with Chinese execution power may create new businesses, open market access and secure a better position in critical resources.
One thing is clear: slow animals will not survive.