Supply Chain Expert Answers Chinese Manufacturing Questions - Tech Support - WIRED
video description
Date: 2026-01-23
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 20
wired
There are a lot of reasons, but mainly, China exports are still base in one thing, the low quality of life of the population. People dont buy Chinese product because they are better, it is just that they cheaper, that the whole thing they have going on since the started. If they start paying more to the workers, that advantage is gone and they wont export much. Have in mind that 30% of the Chinese labor force still makes less than 300 dollars a month. That is a poor country right there, but it is hidden because of the massive size of the chinese population. On top of that, they dont spend a dime in environment or health and safety. Of course, because they know that as soon as they loose that capacity to be cheaper than the rest, they are done, they are going to start to need to live out of their own consumption, which is not enough to maintain all those jobs.
reply
There are a lot of reasons, but mainly, China exports are still base in one thing, the low quality of life of the population. People dont buy Chinese product because they are better, it is just that they cheaper, that the whole thing they have going on since the started. If they start paying more to the workers, that advantage is gone and they wont export much. Have in mind that 30% of the Chinese labor force still makes less than 300 dollars a month. That is a poor country right there, but it is hidden because of the massive size of the chinese population. On top of that, they dont spend a dime in environment or health and safety. Of course, because they know that as soon as they loose that capacity to be cheaper than the rest, they are done, they are going to start to need to live out of their own consumption, which is not enough to maintain all those jobs.
reply
lisayip4305
Hey! I love this video. As a Chinese. I agree with almost all contents in this video and i really appreciate that Aaron does not involve too much political bias in his responses to these questions. One thing that I disagree is the 1978 Reform and Openning up policy and the discussion about Mao and Deng. The openning up policy was actually initiated by Mao in 1972 and Mao built the manufacturing foundation of modern China. Mao was one of the greatest leader in China history, even in world history. He was super strategic and planned for China way ahead. Even tdays China is still following his philosophy. I also use Chinese social media a lot. I think most mainland Chinese citizens would agree with Aaron too.
reply
Hey! I love this video. As a Chinese. I agree with almost all contents in this video and i really appreciate that Aaron does not involve too much political bias in his responses to these questions. One thing that I disagree is the 1978 Reform and Openning up policy and the discussion about Mao and Deng. The openning up policy was actually initiated by Mao in 1972 and Mao built the manufacturing foundation of modern China. Mao was one of the greatest leader in China history, even in world history. He was super strategic and planned for China way ahead. Even tdays China is still following his philosophy. I also use Chinese social media a lot. I think most mainland Chinese citizens would agree with Aaron too.
reply
scottmadison4380
This person above all UNDERSTANDS why China is beating us at 'manufacturing'. He understands the Who, What, Where, When and most importantly the WHY of how china became a manufacturing giant. BLUF: China endure 20 years of pain to build up it's supply chain.
Note: Look at economists when they talk about 'commodities' economies (AKA agriculture/mining phase 1, manufacturing (phase 2, and services (phase 3. China basically said 'lots of places try to skip phase 1, we won't, we'll just be better at phase 2 than everyone else and move into phase 3 organically. This is the benefit of having a 100 year plan to go with your 5 year plans.
reply
This person above all UNDERSTANDS why China is beating us at 'manufacturing'. He understands the Who, What, Where, When and most importantly the WHY of how china became a manufacturing giant. BLUF: China endure 20 years of pain to build up it's supply chain.
Note: Look at economists when they talk about 'commodities' economies (AKA agriculture/mining phase 1, manufacturing (phase 2, and services (phase 3. China basically said 'lots of places try to skip phase 1, we won't, we'll just be better at phase 2 than everyone else and move into phase 3 organically. This is the benefit of having a 100 year plan to go with your 5 year plans.
reply
qipang9271
The quality of a product is quite straightforward to explain. In the team I once worked with, there was a hardware factory. For a simple metal hinge, the cost of poor quality is roughly 1-5 cents, whereas a high-quality hinge with excellent craftsmanship could cost 3-4 dollars. This depends on the importer's cost requirements for the product. Therefore, the quality of the product hinges on the importer's choice.
There is no such thing as all Chinese-made products are unreliable or all Chinese-made products are reliable. In fact, China produces a wide range of products, and it depends on your choice.
reply
The quality of a product is quite straightforward to explain. In the team I once worked with, there was a hardware factory. For a simple metal hinge, the cost of poor quality is roughly 1-5 cents, whereas a high-quality hinge with excellent craftsmanship could cost 3-4 dollars. This depends on the importer's cost requirements for the product. Therefore, the quality of the product hinges on the importer's choice.
There is no such thing as all Chinese-made products are unreliable or all Chinese-made products are reliable. In fact, China produces a wide range of products, and it depends on your choice.
reply
THATSTUPIDGAME-g7r
Two quick additions:
First, the early sweatshop era in China cannot be duplicated.
Without today's industrial giants in the way, China simply won on price and orders poured in. Today, no nation can realistically compete with China on industrial costs or maturity.
Imagine mobilizing your whole country for shoes, then realizing China makes them better, faster, and for 30% the cost.
Second, China’s current status as a manufacturing oligarch is actually textbook capitalism.
It’s the ultimate irony: China is hitting back at the US by playing the Americans at their own game.
reply
Two quick additions:
First, the early sweatshop era in China cannot be duplicated.
Without today's industrial giants in the way, China simply won on price and orders poured in. Today, no nation can realistically compete with China on industrial costs or maturity.
Imagine mobilizing your whole country for shoes, then realizing China makes them better, faster, and for 30% the cost.
Second, China’s current status as a manufacturing oligarch is actually textbook capitalism.
It’s the ultimate irony: China is hitting back at the US by playing the Americans at their own game.
reply
BenjiSun
4: 30 way to blame China for Europe's final assembly labeling scam, just like USDA's product of USA label scam when the cows were born raised and butchered in Brazil. don't forget pre-2018 there's a global developed world's recycling numbers scam when a lot of countries sold off their waste plastics to China to artificially boost their recycling numbers, especially eco friendly Japan, the same country that burns most of their plastic waste, and more when they can't sell it to China anymore. but sure, China's the whiny one exposing poor France and Italy.
reply
4: 30 way to blame China for Europe's final assembly labeling scam, just like USDA's product of USA label scam when the cows were born raised and butchered in Brazil. don't forget pre-2018 there's a global developed world's recycling numbers scam when a lot of countries sold off their waste plastics to China to artificially boost their recycling numbers, especially eco friendly Japan, the same country that burns most of their plastic waste, and more when they can't sell it to China anymore. but sure, China's the whiny one exposing poor France and Italy.
reply
wired
24 minutes in to this 28 minute bonanza of information. Most information dense vid I’ve seen in the last year. Conclusion: the USA has been sitting on its duff and playing its cards wrong since Reagan if not before that. The US is now running on fumes. US hegemony is a thing of the past. Biden was beginning to steer the ship in the right direction, but the US citizenry couldn’t handle that and now we have a madman in charge.
Outlook here is not very bright. Hating this timeline because it is clearly all going to get worse before it gets better.
reply
24 minutes in to this 28 minute bonanza of information. Most information dense vid I’ve seen in the last year. Conclusion: the USA has been sitting on its duff and playing its cards wrong since Reagan if not before that. The US is now running on fumes. US hegemony is a thing of the past. Biden was beginning to steer the ship in the right direction, but the US citizenry couldn’t handle that and now we have a madman in charge.
Outlook here is not very bright. Hating this timeline because it is clearly all going to get worse before it gets better.
reply
paula. tecuenta
1: 47 he says it like western companies dont abuse their workers (overseas and domestically) to make as much as possible xD
when you buy gloves at 90 cents is because they are exploiting people. Nike uses the KIDS of those workers to make their UBER EXPENSIVE shoes in the same factories as the knockoffs what are you talking about xD
ALL capitalist companies abuse their workers, and all western (big) companies produce with the same poor conditions in the same countries. get another point that isnt moot xD
reply
1: 47 he says it like western companies dont abuse their workers (overseas and domestically) to make as much as possible xD
when you buy gloves at 90 cents is because they are exploiting people. Nike uses the KIDS of those workers to make their UBER EXPENSIVE shoes in the same factories as the knockoffs what are you talking about xD
ALL capitalist companies abuse their workers, and all western (big) companies produce with the same poor conditions in the same countries. get another point that isnt moot xD
reply
RedTeamSenei
I don’t think this guy knows what he’s talking about. If China couldn’t doesn’t steal IP how do you explain exploits for Cisco equipment working against equipment working on Huawei devices To the point where hard coded memory pointers are exactly the same Because they steal our IP and clone our hardware, firmware, and software. Even the product manuals are copied verbatim with grammar mistakes and all. Does communist China have you on the payroll
reply
I don’t think this guy knows what he’s talking about. If China couldn’t doesn’t steal IP how do you explain exploits for Cisco equipment working against equipment working on Huawei devices To the point where hard coded memory pointers are exactly the same Because they steal our IP and clone our hardware, firmware, and software. Even the product manuals are copied verbatim with grammar mistakes and all. Does communist China have you on the payroll
reply
jerry5566
China has always made both high-quality products and cheaply made knockoffs. Before, you could spend $3 and get something solid, now you spend $10 and still end up with something cheaply made. The old $3 quality might realistically cost $30 today, but people still don't realize that. It’s not you, and it’s not China either. Something in between shifted, and it made it harder for people to afford the same level of quality as before.
reply
China has always made both high-quality products and cheaply made knockoffs. Before, you could spend $3 and get something solid, now you spend $10 and still end up with something cheaply made. The old $3 quality might realistically cost $30 today, but people still don't realize that. It’s not you, and it’s not China either. Something in between shifted, and it made it harder for people to afford the same level of quality as before.
reply
seanm2562
People talk about China’s infrastructure, but overlook how affordable education is. Top universities charge $1, 000/year with plenty of scholarships - no student loan burden.
Result Hundreds of thousands of graduates entering the workforce annually. Years of accumulated experience = compounding innovation.
When young people can access quality education without crushing debt, everyone benefits. Simple as that.
reply
People talk about China’s infrastructure, but overlook how affordable education is. Top universities charge $1, 000/year with plenty of scholarships - no student loan burden.
Result Hundreds of thousands of graduates entering the workforce annually. Years of accumulated experience = compounding innovation.
When young people can access quality education without crushing debt, everyone benefits. Simple as that.
reply
wired
This expert is so expert that he did not even realize the luxury brands' stuff seen in those TikTok videos was COUNTERFEIT. LVMH does not manufacture in China. Their manufacturing is all in France, Italy, Switzerland and USA. Hermes has no manufacturing operations, nor manufacturing partners, in China. Those videos have been disproven over and over again, yet he blabbers about it for five minutes.
reply
This expert is so expert that he did not even realize the luxury brands' stuff seen in those TikTok videos was COUNTERFEIT. LVMH does not manufacture in China. Their manufacturing is all in France, Italy, Switzerland and USA. Hermes has no manufacturing operations, nor manufacturing partners, in China. Those videos have been disproven over and over again, yet he blabbers about it for five minutes.
reply
sandralantau7395
The expert's bias was really exposed when he said China doesn't have sweatshops anymore. Earlier he mentioned Shein, so he must know about the Shein sweatshops
I also noticed he really fudged the question about copyright and patent breaches - basically the Chinese factories just steal designs (cough Shein cough again) but apparently the expert doesn't know about this
reply
The expert's bias was really exposed when he said China doesn't have sweatshops anymore. Earlier he mentioned Shein, so he must know about the Shein sweatshops
I also noticed he really fudged the question about copyright and patent breaches - basically the Chinese factories just steal designs (cough Shein cough again) but apparently the expert doesn't know about this
reply
jbranche8024
Considering there is limited info on him working in China for very long he has amassed an expert level knowledge on many different aspects, perspectives and goals of China. Aaron completed the Unilever Future Leaders Program which takes 5 years and is considered one of the most prestigious and difficult fast track graduate programs, according to Gemini.
reply
Considering there is limited info on him working in China for very long he has amassed an expert level knowledge on many different aspects, perspectives and goals of China. Aaron completed the Unilever Future Leaders Program which takes 5 years and is considered one of the most prestigious and difficult fast track graduate programs, according to Gemini.
reply
ecokrazy
Black Panther: Wakanda's whole thing is being drastically more advanced than everywhere in the world, including nanotech master Tony Stark
She Hulk: there are finger chopsticks you can buy that just form to your fingers and you can eat popcorn without getting buttery, or cheetos without cheeto hands (which is the best part of cheetos don't at me)
reply
Black Panther: Wakanda's whole thing is being drastically more advanced than everywhere in the world, including nanotech master Tony Stark
She Hulk: there are finger chopsticks you can buy that just form to your fingers and you can eat popcorn without getting buttery, or cheetos without cheeto hands (which is the best part of cheetos don't at me)
reply
askalemuralia
Please could you not cut that often also paying attention to the sentence and intonation of the speaker My lunch break is ending, but I'm sure you never let the guy finish two sentences, because of cutting the end of it simply - out.
Which, in this specific topic does raise suspicions on what was deliberately not shared with us: )
reply
Please could you not cut that often also paying attention to the sentence and intonation of the speaker My lunch break is ending, but I'm sure you never let the guy finish two sentences, because of cutting the end of it simply - out.
Which, in this specific topic does raise suspicions on what was deliberately not shared with us: )
reply
CruedEP
One thing he doesn't say enough about, and accentuate, is the Chinese government subsidies (finance and law) of its manufacturing sector, including EVs. Oh and theft of IP. Belt and Road is an extortion scheme that ties a small govt to China with loans they cannot afford. He's got Chinese masters to answer to.
reply
One thing he doesn't say enough about, and accentuate, is the Chinese government subsidies (finance and law) of its manufacturing sector, including EVs. Oh and theft of IP. Belt and Road is an extortion scheme that ties a small govt to China with loans they cannot afford. He's got Chinese masters to answer to.
reply
phizicks
3: 56 that video and those around that time where complete fakes and low quality, it has been proven many experts have watched their video and seen it's no where near the quality of the expensive ones. so they aren't the manufacturer of the quality products.
China EVS are heavily subsidized, quite simple.
reply
3: 56 that video and those around that time where complete fakes and low quality, it has been proven many experts have watched their video and seen it's no where near the quality of the expensive ones. so they aren't the manufacturer of the quality products.
China EVS are heavily subsidized, quite simple.
reply
froggieogreen
Just adding to the pile of comments about the excessive cuts why did you do that The video is a guy talking, there’s no need for all this shifting around, haha. Anyway, the topic is more than interesting enough, you don’t need to flash the screen every few seconds to keep our attention.
reply
Just adding to the pile of comments about the excessive cuts why did you do that The video is a guy talking, there’s no need for all this shifting around, haha. Anyway, the topic is more than interesting enough, you don’t need to flash the screen every few seconds to keep our attention.
reply
SVAFnemesis
I don't get it, the first Answer was given before Aaron explained anything was that your information is more valuable, but then Aaron continues to offer a completely different answer. So why bother putting out a propagenda-ish answer that isn't even what Aaron says So WIRED has sides now
reply
I don't get it, the first Answer was given before Aaron explained anything was that your information is more valuable, but then Aaron continues to offer a completely different answer. So why bother putting out a propagenda-ish answer that isn't even what Aaron says So WIRED has sides now
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
