There is a reason that "Chinese" has become a synonym for junk in the United States. We "protected our economy" with high tariffs. For a Chinese product to compete with an American product, which it absolutely could do if they wanted it to, it has to be made cheaply enough that the tariffs can still keep the final price low enough to be cheaper than the American-made product.
When the price on the shelf is comparable, Americans will pick the product with the cutest girls on the commercial. But if the price difference is sufficient, we will buy the cheaper one if our friends aren't watching. So for typical products, we only bother getting Chinese versions that will be the cheapest version we can put on the shelf, and reserve the higher-quality items for the American supplier.
When I worked in the South Pacific, the tool stores had some American-made products and Chinese-made products, at the same quality and near the same price points. The Chinese tools were EVERY BIT as high-quality as the American-made tools. These were brands you couldn't buy in the US, though, as the tariffs would price them past the American-made versions.
There are some industries that have completely left the US, however, usually taxed, regulated, or labor-priced out of the market completely. Now you get your choice of high-quality, or low-quality, and they will both be Chinese, perhaps even from the same factory, all depending on the specifications provided, as mentioned.
China built some of the most advanced infrastructure in the world. You think they did it with tools they bought at a 1990's Harbor Freight?
Now, you can argue communism, environment, and human rights all you want, and make very valid points. But not that they make crap because that's all they can do. It's just usually what we ask them for.
I work primarily in air conditioning repair. I can install US-made or Chinese-made motors. My customers will pick the Chinese motor every time when I give them the price difference. And that's after the tariffs. The Chinese have gotten so efficient, they make up for it. Of course, the new economy has caused a motor that wholesaled at $70 two years ago, to be $100 now.
I should have added this to my post about my scope itself as compared to the (only) Chinese copy I've seen. The optics of both scopes are sharp and clear, but the overall finish quality of mine is much better than the Chinese one. (His Chinese scope has phillips head screws on the turret plates....) And most importantly, the "clicks" on the adjustment knobs on my scope are very distinct, while my friends scope is somewhat mushy and inconsistent feeling. They may well have been made in the same factory, but to two different levels of quality.
So regardless of exactly where they were actually manufactured, Japan, China, wherever, the two scopes I have seem to be as good as one can expect.
Might be "Made In India" next, I watch some of the stuff they repair & make they do not believe in OHS nor air quality some of the builds I watched are truly horrendous quality.
Well worth watching
Mine are not the best, but they are not too bad. I can think of lots of Enfields I'd rather have but instead of constantly striving for more, sometimes it's good to be satisfied with what one has...
As a counterpoint, a Chinese ex-pat explained to me that the really high quality stuff made by Chinese companies, whether industrial equipment or tea, is so easily swallowed up by the domestic market that it doesn't need to be exported.
Obviously there are operations that build specifically for foreign customers. Think iPhones for example.
But yes China can build good stuff and foreigners can get it. But they do build a lot of junk too, betting that the Barbarians won't know the difference. Cheap knock-offs are an East-Asian thing.
I've watched them do the refurbing of dead batteries the lead fumes alone from melting the new cells is totally ignored, I've seen acid dipped stuff where they have no shoes on, no protective gear whatsoever the best one I ever saw was carving figurines out of marble dry.
They were just covered in the white marble dust, no respirators on, no safety glasses nothing, so in 5-10-15 years their lungs will be shot from all the respirable dust particles trapped in their lungs from years of abuse so sad to see.
The Chinese are great 'copyers' and superb engineers and manufacturers.
Give a detailed drawing, (or a part to copy) and a 'price point' they can manufacture anything.
The same factory can/will produce the 'same' part at differing price points, and hence quality, for different buyers.
I was working in the Automotive fastener business and some parts we sold we did not manufacture, we bought-in. We started working with a new Chinese supplier and we wanted to be tough on quality so we told them we would accept a reject rate of 5 parts per million.
On the first delivery of 5 million parts there was a small parcel attached to the outside of the shipment - on opening the parcel we found 25 pieces and a note saying "please find the 25 reject parts as requested"
The Chinese can make anything to any quality you specify.
That's remarkable as I recall hearing almost the same story from a US executive referring to a Japanese company who were producing chips or some similar computer part for them: it's in a video somewhere on YT IIRC. He mentions how a small bag was attached with apparently the same parts as the order itself. When asked the Japanese firm replied that "those are the defective parts you asked for".
“There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”
A year ago at a wedding I was talking to a plant manager that fills aerosol cans. WD-40 was a big contract for them. He says they can buy in Chinese cans and the reject rate is far higher than those from US suppliers, but even with the scrap charge they cost less. I think there is something wrong to be generating waste like that, but maybe that's just me.
Let's face the facts: the work ethic in China is in general much superior to that currently found in the West, or most of it.
One can argue about the reasons for that ethic; and IMHO it is primarily a hunger for improved quality of life and the "face" that goes with material success in Asian societies, as well as ours.
Nevertheless, it is what it is and what we have to compete with.
The culture of mediocrity and entitlement carefully fostered in the West since the 1960s at least is bearing fruit.
People who can write 2500 or so complex ideographs learn how to pay attention to detail. People who can't write 26 letters properly are fit for what exactly?
“There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”
. We "protected our economy" with high tariffs. For a Chinese product to compete with an American product, which it absolutely could do if they wanted it to, it has to be made cheaply enough that the tariffs can still keep the final price low enough to be cheaper than the American-made product.
PM
Originally Posted by CINDERS
