There has been a long history of friendship between China and Italy. Marco Polo and Matteo Ricci were not only witnesses of the China-Italy friendship, but also pioneers in the exchanges between China and the Western world.
In the history of Sino-Western exchanges, the opening up of the Silk Road was a great pioneering undertaking in the history of human civilization. The Silk Road was also the longest international traffic route in the ancient East and West. Thanks to this road, China and ceramics became known to people all over the world. The expression “pottery of Shiwan, porcelain of Jingdezhen” has summarized the essence of Chinese ceramics. Shiwan kiln is a civilian kiln. Ever since its birth, Shiwan kiln has been producing to meet market demand and export needs. As a result, Nanfeng ancient kiln has been in continuous operation for 500 years and has become the soul of the city.
Ceramics have been playing a very significant role in the human history. As was written in the 11th chapter of Genesis of the Old Testament of the Bible, people at that time joined up and tried to build a Tower of Babel which would reach to Heaven, and the building materials they used were bricks made by burning soil. God had to make people speak different languages so that they could not understand each other. The plan thus failed and people scattered from then on.
From this story, we know that ceramics have in fact changed the world to the greatest extent; and misunderstandings have been everywhere between people. Due to differences in subjective perspectives and knowledge background, the individual differences make this world rich and colourful, whereas good communication and exchanges are fundamental to cooperation.
Over the years, the prevalent theory has switched from “China Collapse” to “China Threat”, and currently to “China Responsibility”. This process is also the process and track of China’s economic development. Through 30 years’implementation of the Reform and Opening-up Policy,China has successfully been accepted into the world economic order; however, China is far from being correctly understood by the Western world.
In Europe in the Age of Enlightenment, China was misinterpreted by the Western world in an ideal way; and in the modern times, it has been demonized. On the one hand, capitalism needs globalization, for which China’s market prospect and strengths of manufacturing are indispensible; on the other hand, borders are established existence, therefore the rules of cooperation have to be jointly selected by both sides.
What many Chinese don’t know is that over 98% of enterprises in Italy, which is an economic power, are small and medium enterprises. Although of small scales, they have focused on a market segment for a very long time, thus creating and maintaining the majority of international brands of Italy, which are irreplaceable to the industry and consumers.
China also has a large number of small and medium enterprises, which have also made significant economic contribution. However, compared to Italy, China has been too addicted to the modernization and scale of enterprises. Compared to small and medium Italian enterprises which frequently boast a history of tens or even over a hundred years, the small and medium enterprises of China are apparently too young.
But there are similarities between the two. Small and medium enterprises of both countries are mostly concentrated on traditional industries, such as textile, clothing, furniture, leather and stone. The Pearl River Delta of China also possesses the feature and strength of “one industry for one are” and “one product for one town”, which is particularly similar to Italy.
At present, China is undergoing a revolution in the mode of economic production. There is unprecedented concern about private enterprises and innovative industries. Take the ceramic industry for example, governments of various production areas not only pay attention to industrial development, but also to its relation with urban planning, environmental protection, intellectual property right system as well as the introduction of new technology and R & D.
As the largest ceramic producer in the world, China currently owns 40 ceramic production areas; its output in 2009 exceeded6.7billion m2.In view of the government strategies of “Western Development” and “Rise of Central China”, plus the large-scale urbanization process, the ceramic industry in China will undergo a golden period of development of at least 30 years.
Meanwhile, with its beautiful natural and cultural environment and high-quality ceramic industry, particularly its strengths of machinery and design, Italy has long been the favourite place of people engaging in the ceramic industry of the world.
As the world shifts its focus of ceramic manufacturing to Asia and China takes up an increasing proportion, Chinese ceramic enterprises which have completed primitive accumulation will choose enterprise management, product R & D and design as well as marketing distribution etc as breakthroughs. How to cooperate and achieve win-win with world-top enterprises, including Italian enterprises? How to achieve good and complementary division of labour and cooperation? These will be issues of great importance in the near future.
The cooperation between Ceramic Town Weekly and the three major associations of Italy has provided a good condition for the exchanges between enterprises and governments of the two countries. Shiwan, a town built on the strength of pottery, has initiated the great idea of building an “Italian Town”to promote the communication and sharing between ceramic practitioners all over the world. Just like rebuilding the “Tower of Babel” through ceramics, this idea is grand yet full of challenges. The world is originally flat.
中国与意大利的友好历史源远流长,马可·波罗(Marco Polo)、利玛窦(Matteo Ricci)不仅仅是中意友谊的见证,也是中国与西方世界交流的先驱。
在中西方交流的历史中,丝绸之路的开辟是人类文明史上的一个伟大创举,也是古代东西方最长的国际交通路线,中国、陶瓷也是以此为世界人民所熟知。“石湾陶,景德瓷”,概括了中国陶瓷的精髓。石湾窑是民窑,从出生之日起就是为市场需要生产,为外销需要而生产。因而南风古灶绵延500年薪火不息,成为城市灵魂所系。
陶,一直在人类的历史中扮演了非常重要的角色。《圣经·旧约·创世记》第11章说,当时人类联合起来兴建希望能通往天堂的巴别塔,就以烧土做砖来作为建筑材料。上帝只好让人类说不同的语言,使人类相互之间不能沟通,计划因此失败,人类自此各散东西。
这个故事告诉我们,陶瓷其实已经最大的限度地将世界改变;而人和人之间充满着误读。由于主观角度、知识背景不尽相同,个体的差异才使得世界为之丰富多彩,而良好的沟通与交流则是合作之根本。
这些年来,国际上盛行的先是“中国崩溃论”,然后是“中国威胁论”,现在则是“中国责任论”。这个过程其实也是中国经济发展的过程和轨迹。中国通过30年的改革开放,已经成功地纳入到了世界经济秩序中,但中国却远没有被西方世界正确认识。
启蒙时代的欧洲,中国被西方世界理想化的误读,近代以来,又被妖魔化的误读。一方面,资本主义需要全球化,中国的市场前景与制造业的优势不可或缺,另一方面,疆界是既定的存在,合作的规则需要双边来共同做出抉择。
而很多中国人并不知道是,作为经济强国的意大利,98%以上的企业都是中小企业。规模虽小,但因为长期专注于一个细分市场上,因而创造和维持了意大利大部分全球性品牌,在业内和消费者眼里无可替代。
中国的中小企业数量众多,对经济贡献也是十分巨大。但与意大利相比,中国对于企业的现代化、对于企业规模化过于沉溺,与意大利中小企业动辄几十、上百年的历史相比,中国的中小企业显然十分稚嫩。
但两者也有相似的地方,两国的中小企业大多集中在传统产业,比如纺织、服装、家具、皮业和石材等行业。和意大利尤其类似的是,中国珠三角地区也具有“一区一业”、“一镇一品”的特点和优势。
目前,中国国内正进行一场改变经济生产方式的革命,对于民营企业和创意产业的关注度空前提高。以陶瓷产业为例,各地产区政府不但关注产业发展,更关注与城市规划、环境保护、知识产权体系、新技术研发引进的相互关系。
作为世界上最大的陶瓷生产国,中国现有陶瓷产区40个,2009年的产量突破67亿平方米。考虑到政府“西部大开发”和“中部崛起”的发展政策,加上大规模的城市化与城镇化进程,陶瓷产业在中国至少还有30年的黄金发展时期。
而意大利也以优美的自然人文环境,高质量的陶瓷工业,特别是在机械与设计方面的优势,一直是世界陶瓷工业人必往心仪之地。
在世界陶瓷制造重心向亚洲转移,而中国比重日益增大的同时,已经完成原始积累的中国陶瓷企业,将会选择企业经营管理、产品的研发设计、市场营销布局等方面作为突破。如何与包括意大利在内的世界级先进企业合作共赢,达成良性互补的产业分工与协作,将是接下来一段时间内非常重要的话题。
这次陶城报与意大利三大协会的合作,为两国企业之间、政府之间的交流创造了一个良好的条件。而以陶筑城的石湾,启动“意大利城”的伟大构想,促进世界陶瓷人沟通与共享之举,正如用陶瓷重建“巴别塔”一般,宏大而充满挑战。世界,本来就是平的。
By Luo Jie/罗杰