Stacy Kwinn and Gregory Perez and Kris Konopka and Justin Denney -- two American expat couples who are friends -- got together the other day for dim sum and swapped stories about the computer software business in China. These are among the thousands of Americans living and working here. Their experiences have given them insights into what U.S. policymakers should do about this economic juggernaut. Their advice: Teach more American kids the Chinese language and higher-level math and science. Keep innovating. Take seriously China's ambition to invent, not just manufacture. Help China improve consumer safety and conserve energy. Understand how cultural differences translate in the marketplace. Dan Kuzmanovic, a stamping and tooling specialist on a three-year assignment in China for Ford, was back in Shanghai after a two-week break in Michigan. "My parents left Yugoslavia for America," Kuzmanovic said. "Now I've left America for China. . . Being in China is probably a good thing for any company if you're a global company but you can't do it at the expense of America. I think Ford's found that balance. At the government level, you need to have the same thought process."
Their advice: Teach more American kids the Chinese language and higher-level math and science. Keep innovating. Take seriously China's ambition to invent, not just manufacture. Help China improve consumer safety and conserve energy. Understand how cultural differences translate in the marketplace.
Dan Kuzmanovic, a stamping and tooling specialist on a three-year assignment in China for Ford, was back in Shanghai after a two-week break in Michigan.
"My parents left Yugoslavia for America," Kuzmanovic said. "Now I've left America for China. . . Being in China is probably a good thing for any company if you're a global company but you can't do it at the expense of America. I think Ford's found that balance. At the government level, you need to have the same thought process."
