AC919largepassengeraircraft,China"sfirstself-developedtrunkjetliner,takesofffromShanghaiHongqiaoInternationalAirportineastChina"sShanghai,May28,2023.[Photo/Xinhua]

China"sfirstdomesticallymadecommercialaircraft,theCOMACC919,completeditsmaidenflightfromShanghaitoBeijingonMay28.TheC919,dubbedasarivaltoBoeing"s737,washeraldedasabreakthroughachievementforthecountryandasymbolofChina"sowntechnologicalandeconomicdevelopment.

Despitethis,theaircraftcameunderattackfromcriticswhohighlightedthatitstillrequiredWestern-madecomponentsinitssupplychain,attemptingtopourcoldwateroverChina"sachievements.However,itwassoonpointedoutthatthesupplychainsofsimilaraviationmanufacturers,includingBoeingandEurope"sAirbus,alsohadavastlyglobalizedportfolioofpartsmadearoundtheworld,withtheformerrelyingon11,000differentsuppliers.

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Thesecriticsmissthepoint.Firstofall,ifiPhonecomponentsaremadeprimarilyinChina,doesthatmeanAppleisaChinesecompany?ThefactChinahasbeenabletocreateanindigenouscommercialaircraftmodelandcompetewithWesterngiantsisademonstrationofhowfarChinahascome,demonstratingitseconomicrisefrom"low-end"simplemanufacturingintohigh-endmanufacturing.TheoriginofcertainCOMACC919componentsdoesnotmeanthatitisanylessofanachievement.Chinaisnolongermerelyassemblinggoodsbutmakingitsownworld-leadingproducts.

Secondly,thefactthattheC919,likeotheraircraftmanufacturers,hasaglobalizedsupplychainisademonstrationofwhatisdescribedas"win-win"cooperationthroughglobalcollaborationandshowswhatcanbelostbytheUnitedStatesattemptingtoinitiatepoliciestothecontrary.Supplychainsareverycomplexthingsthatcanspanovermanycountriesandcreateworldwidetradingnetworks,integratingmanyfieldsoflaborandtechnologicalniches,whichoftencreateaself-enforcingsenseof"convenience"inordertobringdowncostswhileincreasingefficiency.

Onthisnote,theC919"ssuccessremindsusthatsupplychainsarenotonlyglobalbutshouldbekeptthatway.FormanyEuropeanandAmericanproviders,itssuccessdemonstratesthegrowingopportunityoftheChinesemarket.Whyinanycase,wouldyouwanttopoliticizethisortakeitaway?Thisrealityalsochallengesthenotion,repeatedlypushedbyU.S.presidentsbeginningwithTrump,thattradeoughttobedepictedasa"zero-sum"game.Thatis,theideathatsomecountries"win"atthe"expense"ofothers.ThishasledtoamisleadingcomprehensionthattradewithChinacomesata"loss"totheUnitedStates,whichhasspurredaggressiveandcounterproductivepoliciessuchastariffs.

Indoingso,theUnitedStateshasalsosoughttoforcibly"geo-politicize"globalsupplychains,seekingpoliticaldominanceasaforemostpriority,asopposedtomarketefficiency.Inmultipleindustries,includingsemiconductorsaswellassolarpanels,thishasposedoutcomesthataredisastrousforAmericanbusinesses.TheU.S.isactivelyseekingto"rollback"globalizationinfavorofsuchpoliticallyorientatedgoalswhilesimilarlypushinglittlecliquessuchastheIndo-PacificEconomicFramework(IPEC)todothesamething.Noneofitiseconomicallybeneficial.

Inthiscase,theCOMACC919isarareexampleofwhatWesternandChinesebusinessescancreatetogether,whichcontributestomutualeconomicdevelopmentaroundtheworld.AlthoughWesternmediaoutletsrepeatedlyemphasizea"rivalry"withU.S.aircraftmanufacturerBoeing,thepointforChinaishowitcontinuestogrowandachievemore.TheaircraftisseenasamonumentalachievementinChina"sownjourneyofgrowthoverthepastfewdecades,whichhasseenitexcelinmanyareas.

ThesuccessfulcommercialmaidenflightoftheC919marksabigstepforwardforChina"saviationindustry.ThefurtherdevelopmentofChina"shomegrownairlinersmakesitpossibleforthecountrytobecomeoneofthesuppliersofcivilaircraftandrelatedproductsandservicestotheworld,whichenablesthecountrytoengageintechnologicalcooperationwithothercountriessoastoachievemutualbenefitandwin-winresults.

TomFowdyisaBritishpoliticalandinternationalrelationsanalystandagraduateofDurhamandOxforduniversities.Formoreinformationpleasevisit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/TomFowdy.htm

Opinionarticlesreflecttheviewsoftheirauthors,notnecessarilythoseofChina.org.cn.