The worst gap between China and Japan and Germany is truly disheartening to see (reposted)

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The most alarming gap between China and Japan and Germany is truly disheartening. First of all, I must say that China’s manufacturing industry is underdeveloped. I study mechanical manufacturing, so I’d like to share some of my experiences. 　When I and the technicians at the factory worked day and night to improve the precision of the CNC machine tools, translating German documents in the process, when I went through countless difficulties without any vacation or overtime pay, covered in dirt with injuries all over my hands, and failed many times during the testing process – until finally I managed to produce a sample with precision meeting the required level of 0.0001 millimeters for the first time – I felt excited for a while, but then I felt disappointed, because the CNC machine tool in question was made in Germany; its control computer system was German-made, the processing software was also German-made, and even the cutting tools and drills were Japanese-made! Apart from the factory buildings, not a single tool is made in China! Even the factory buildings were designed with reference to foreign experiences. 　 　　Fellow countrymen, those of you who are not involved in this work may not have a deep understanding of it. To manufacture a part with an accuracy of 0.0001 millimeters, the tools required are those made abroad, and the precision of these tools is several times, or even dozens of times or hundreds of times, higher than that of the product itself! A small drill bit used for high-precision machining – we simply can’t make that! It costs several thousand yen for the Japanese one! There’s nothing I can do. Don’t get complacent just because you know some fashion software like Photoshop; a full set of legitimate RO/E software costs nearly 80 million yuan! I’m giving it to you, but you can’t even install it, let alone use it. What’s the difference? 　 　　A few years ago, when we were in college, we watched the news in the hall of our school; representatives from each department were there. When the TV showed that Japanese university students had created a robot that was taken to Germany to compete with robots made by German university students, the students from our mechanical engineering department were stunned. That robot was the kind that can walk on its own by maintaining balance on both feet, but it didn’t have any outer shell. Those of us in this field could immediately see the controllers, motors, and wires all over its body. The camera showed the robot performing actions on its own – doing backflips with its hands, bowing at 90 degrees, and jumping forward with its feet. Students and teachers from other departments smiled and said, “It’s so fun and adorable!” But while we were surprised, we also felt genuine… fear! The real fear is that the gap is simply too large; these are the achievements of manufacturing, automatic control, and materials science. I hate Japan, and that’s why I’m afraid. 　 　　Laypeople don’t realize just how large this gap is. Let me put it this way: if a war breaks out and China’s manufacturing industry still has such a significant gap compared to other countries, then you and I will be forced to fight with nothing but guns and rifles. This isn’t an exaggeration; although we can engage in reverse engineering, it’s similar to Taiwan buying weapons when the mainland produces its own weapons – it’s not useful at all. 　 　　It seems that society these days places increasing emphasis on industries that do not play a crucial role in the country’s economy and people’s well-being – things like real estate development, computers, software, and business. It’s fine to succeed in these areas, but when a few people drive up housing prices even further, such ways of making money are nothing to be proud of, I tell you! To put it simply, it’s immoral! Computers have become widespread, but how much do we really know about core manufacturing technologies? Not to mention software – there are many hackers, and yet that software is both good and cheap. How can you compete? There are too many people who work with computers! Don’t think that all science fiction movies are true; in reality, computers don’t fight battles – it’s machines that are actually involved! The gap between computers isn’t that big. In a battle, when missiles miss their targets or stop working, and tanks break down, there’s still me, you, and everyone else – we’ll have to charge forward with swords. I don’t want to do that; what about you? 　 　　Don’t get dizzy at the sight of fancy cars. Leaving aside the question of what kind of value those girls in their early 20s have to offer in order to afford modified Hummer SUVs, if we look into the past, how many wealthy people in China didn’t build their fortunes through illegal means? And how many of them can claim that they didn’t act against their conscience? 　 　　The richer and more capable one is, the greater the responsibility to contribute to the people. Look at the current situation in China: how many wealthy people prefer to buy cars manufactured using technology from ten years ago in Japan just to show off in front of their fellow citizens, rather than investing their money in society – after all, what comes from the people should go back to the people Do foreigners go out of their way to show kindness whenever there’s a flood disaster? They have their reasons; they don’t compare the quality of foreigners with that of their own people, and in fact they consider the quality of their own citizens to be low. Whenever I see foreign cars, I feel guilty and sorry for everyone, because I work in the manufacturing industry; yet I know that it’s already difficult in our country to achieve precise surface finishing on car bodies, let alone develop engines. Grow up already, wake up! Stop being obsessed with the fact that GDP has risen again. Look at the quality of the products we produce – it’s heartbreaking! Stop acting like ignorant children by constantly staring at sports cars, and stop showing off foreign-made digital products such as ultra-thin portable players – those are technologies that have been phased out. The backbone of any country is its manufacturing industry! 　 　　Over the past 200 years, I don’t know what the future holds; in any case, the current situation won’t change. Don’t think that being able to make money makes one skilled or worthy of pride. When someone boasts about how many luxury cars they’ve seen, how many properties they’ve sold, how many web pages they’ve designed, or who they’ve gotten signatures from, I admit those are the results of their hard work, but I dismiss them as unimportant. I judge a person’s abilities based on whether they truly create real value for society, whether they genuinely improve productivity. Although I spend my days working with cold machines, using complex 3D design software to create drawings late into the night, and my monthly salary is only 1,500 yuan, wearing outdated clothes that aren’t in line with fashion trends and not knowing who’s popular these days, I still take the bus to work. But when asked about my situation, I’ll tell them everything without hesitation, regardless of how they look down on me. Because I work in mechanical manufacturing and automation; as a worker, as someone who strives to ensure that missiles are accurate and high-quality, and that tank engines are unparalleled, I feel proud – even though my salary is only 1,500 yuan.