Need more confirmation that Detroit remains a leader of the global auto industry? Bill Vlasic has plenty in The New York Times.
Jerry Xu is president of the Detroit Chinese Business Association in Troy. He earned a master's from MSU after coming from China.Dozens of companies from China are putting down roots in Detroit, part of the country’s steady push into the American auto industry. . . . Chinese-owned companies are investing in American businesses and new vehicle technology. . . .
Last year, the biggest carmaker in China, Shanghai Automotive Industries, opened new offices in suburban Detroit [Birmingham].
That can be good news for engineers, designers and other job-seekeers. The trend also adds diversity to the region.
The American industry’s overall resurgence has drawn a growing Chinese population to Detroit, with Chinese-owned suppliers bringing executives from their country and American automakers adding new talent. About 50,000 Chinese, many of them engineers and other professionals who work at General Motors and the Ford Motor Company, live in the metropolitan area.Business networks are growing too. The Detroit Chinese Business Association boasts a flourishing membership, and counts about 100 Chinese-owned businesses, mostly auto-related, in the region.
The Ford Chinese Association, with 650 white-collar workers, predominantly from mainland China, has become one of the largest employee groups at the company.
As the same time. federal regulators show concern, the Detroit-based business writer notes.
The Obama administration filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization that China’s government was unfairly subsidizing the production of some parts shipped to America. And the country’s inroads into American-made batteries and electric vehicles have drawn scrutiny because that sector of the industry has been heavily subsidized by the United States government.
