I’m proud, even though I only earn 1,500 yuan per month

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First of all, I would like to 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, 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 numerous times during the testing process – until finally I managed to produce a sample with a precision of 0.0001 millimeters as required – I was excited for a while, but then I felt disappointed, because the CNC system of that machining center was made in Germany, the computer components were German-made as well, the software used for processing was also of German origin; 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 to buy 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 university hall; representatives from each department were there. When the TV showed that Japanese university students had created a robot 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. As people in this field, we could immediately see the controllers, motors, and wires all over it. The camera showed the robot performing actions on its own – doing somersaults with its arms, bowing at 90 degrees, and jumping forward with its feet. The students and teachers from other departments smiled and said, “It’s so fun and adorable!” But while we were shocked, those of us from our department also felt… 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 lags so far behind that of other countries, then you and I will have nothing but bullets and rifles to fight with. 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 – it’s not useful at all. 　　It seems that society these days is placing more and more 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 ever higher, 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 working on 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 battle, when missiles miss their targets or fail to function, and tanks stop working, then 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 just at the sight of fancy cars. Leaving aside the question of what kind of value these 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, it comes from the people and 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 instead they consider the quality of their own nationals 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 for 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 increased 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 a 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 shows off how many luxury cars they’ve seen, how many properties they’ve sold, how many websites they’ve designed, or signatures from certain famous people, I admit it’s the result of their hard work, but I dismiss it as unimportant. I judge a person’s abilities based on whether they truly create real value for society and 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 1500 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 of high quality, and that tank engines are unparalleled, I feel proud, even though my monthly income is only 1500 yuan. This post was last edited by suboda*a on 2009-4-15 15:09]