2005年NPR美国国家公共电台九月-U.S. States, Cities Courting Chinese Firm

It's All Things Considered. I am Melissa Block. And I'm Robert Siegel.

Today the State of South Carolina opened a new trade office more than 7 thousand miles away from the statehouse. It's in Shanghai. Trade with China has been a sore subject in Southern States. Competition from Asian imports has devastated 1 the region's textile and furniture industries. As NPR's Adam Hochberg reports, some states are now working with the Chinese to create new jobs in this country.

Over the past decades, South Carolina has lost more than 16,000 jobs to China. But at this factory in the small town of Camden, it's gotten some of them back. In this 5-year-old plant, about 200 South Carolinians make refrigerators. They work for a company called Haier, spelt H-A-I-E-R, a Chinese firm that used to be controlled by the Communist government but now has capitalist ambitions. Its products once unknown outside Asia now are sold in the American stores like Home Depot 2. And the head of this plant David Parks wants to make Haier a household name in the U.S.

"American markets are the most mature and the most difficult and to be a global participant, you have to be here. That's why we are here. That's why we're investing in a factory. We wanna build products in America, by Americans for the American market. Even in this American plant with the American managers, you can see the influence of the Far East. On the walls are posters with soothing 3 scenes and Chinese motivational sense. Some carry awkward English translations like "only products for practical uses can be favored by customers". Parks spent 15 years working for American appliance makers 4 and calls Haier a different kind of company.

"The Americans tend to live quarter by quarter, and there's almost an attitude like if you don't make the quarter, don't worry about next year, coz’ you won't be here. Asians are much more long-term in their thinking. And if you take the long view of things, you're far better-off.”

Haier has left little doubt its long-view calls for aggressive growth. It failed in a recent bid to take over Maytag, but still plans to build at least four more American factories. Other Chinese manufacturers are opening U.S plants as well, making things like automotive components 5 and electronics, all part of a strategy to transform China into a global economic leader. University of South Carolina business professor Chuck Kwok says China wants to be known for something more than low wages and cheap consumer goods. It wants to tap into America's strength in research and development.

"If you are not very strong in R&D, there’s no way you can dominate in the key industries, like high-tech 6, like cars, like other. You don't just have that base. And that's why Chinese companies now are learning how to go outside to America."

So far, companies from mainland China have created only a couple thousand jobs in the U.S, far fewer than the number of American jobs lost to Asia. But professor Kwok predicts Chinese investments here will grow, and governors around the country are working hard to attract them.

"China is the giant elephant in the room as related to economic development."

South Carolina governor Mark Sanford has made two trade missions to China and personally cut the ribbon at State's Shanghai office. To Chinese executives, he talks up South Carolina's ready workforce 7 and its low business costs. And he says locating Chinese factories in the state could pay political dividends 8.

"For instance, in South Carolina there is a very strong sentiment against China trade. And if we stay with political dynamic as it exists now, trade sanctions will go up. And you need to go to the epicenter of where jobs are lost and replace some of those jobs if you have any hope of changing the current political dynamic."

South Carolina gave Haier more than a quarter million dollars in incentives 9 and even named the street near the factory Haier Boulevard. But not all Chinese firms receive such a warm welcome. This summer, China's government-owned oil company dropped efforts to buy Unocal after some members of congress raised national security concerns. And other critics worry luring 10 Chinese factories to the U.S might hurt America in the long run. Robert Scott is with the Economic Policy Institute, a union-backed think-tank.

"Mayors and governors around the country have an obvious desire to create jobs for their communities, but the problem is they are missing the forest for the trees, the problem is that what comes out in the end of those factories displaces U.S products, they employ many more workers so we lose jobs."

Back in South Carolina, workers at the Haier factory raise few concerns about having a Chinese employer. For the most part, they are just happy to work in this clean plant and earn a salary that's more than 10 dollars an hour. It's generous in this part of the state.

"My honest opinion it's the best job that I've had since I have been working, I have been working since I was about 18."

42-year-old Thomas Davis who used to work at a textile mill now operates a machine in Haier that makes refrigerator liners.

"I didn't think Chinese will actually come over here and develop a company. But I am glad to it did. I mean, my thing is, you know, I let China and U.S settle their differences. And I just come here to perform my duties and go home."

Davis says the only struggles of this plant came when it first opened that Haier sent managers from China to train the workers. That led the language and cultural problems so severe. Some employees quit in frustration 11. Now with all American management, things are running more smoothly 12 and morale 13 is high. The company says it's received thousands of applications from South Carolinians who want to work here.

Adam Hochberg, NPR news.