Wang Xianquan, Chairman of Xianda Agrochemical: The Chip Controversy Between the U.S. and ZTE Highlights Xianda’s Technological Innovation

Release Date:

2018-05-31

One of the hottest topics in the news lately is the U.S. ban on selling chips to ZTE. A single tiny chip has struck at the very heart of ZTE’s operations. Online, numerous emotionally charged discussions have emerged, such as “U.S. sanctions against ZTE ring four death knells,” “The Sino‑U.S. ‘5G war’ has officially begun,” “The most comprehensive analysis of the ZTE incident: China’s vulnerabilities exposed, and where does domestic chip technology stand?” and “The Sino‑U.S. chip battle jolts hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens—reflections after ZTE was banned.” Behind these headlines lies widespread concern over the nation’s capacity for independent innovation and dissatisfaction with perceived shortcomings in China’s innovative strength. As a major power, China cannot afford to live in the shadow of the United States; a country’s…

One of the hottest topics in the news lately is the U.S. ban on selling chips to ZTE. A single tiny chip has struck at the very heart of ZTE’s operations. Online, numerous sensational headlines have emerged: “U.S. Sanctions on ZTE Ring Four Death Bells,” “The Sino‑U.S. ‘5G War’ Has Officially Begun,” “The Most Comprehensive Analysis of the ZTE Incident: China’s Vulnerabilities Exposed, and Where Do Domestic Chips Stand Now?,” and “The Sino‑U.S. Chip Battle Has Woken Up Hundreds of Millions of Chinese Citizens! Reflections After ZTE Was Banned.” Behind these narratives lies widespread concern over the nation’s capacity for independent innovation and dissatisfaction with perceived shortcomings in China’s innovative strength. As a major power, China cannot afford to live in the shadow of the United States. A country’s independence and international standing must be underpinned by cutting‑edge technology. Consider this: without the atomic bomb, the hydrogen bomb, or nuclear submarines, could China truly enjoy such pride and confidence today? GDP built on tourism, real estate, and food delivery simply will not suffice to make China a true global power.
　　Reflecting on us Pesticide Industry, although Pesticide There are over 2,000 enterprises, including numerous listed companies, yet how many truly original products do we have? How many can wield meaningful influence in both domestic and international markets? Almost all of what we produce are generic versions of expired patents—ordinary commodities left behind after multinational corporations have reaped their hefty profits. Domestic firms rush in en masse, frantically expanding scale and driving prices down, yet lacking brand recognition, they can only sell as run-of-the-mill chemical products. As a result, they possess no pricing power or market control whatsoever. China… Pesticide The market is a “red ocean.”
　　Xianfada also relies on producing expired products. Pesticide We built our business on products—thanks to our early start, we erected the “edifice” of Xianda by relying on imitation‑based offerings. After several rounds of intense competition, leveraging our strengths in technology, market presence, quality, and reputation, we have established a leading position in China for key products such as imazethapyr, cyhalofop‑butyl, isoxaflutole, and dimethomorph. With the commissioning of our Huludao production base, the scale of these core products will expand further, and we are confident in securing dominant market leadership. Relying on these established products, Xianda will enjoy robust growth over the next 5 to 10 years.
　　“Without foresight, one will surely face immediate troubles.” For Xianda to become a century‑long leader, it cannot rely indefinitely on its legacy products. Today, competition from generic and non‑patented offerings in the domestic market is extremely fierce, and our current growth model has hit a ceiling. To move forward, we must depend on technological innovation and patent‑protected new products. Only by forging ahead along the path of “patented, innovative products” can Xianda achieve a breakthrough and elevate its development to a higher level.
　　It’s easy to talk about technological innovation, but hard to put it into practice. Pesticide Innovation is built on talent and capital; internationally, only a handful of multinational corporations—such as Syngenta—can undertake such endeavors. To pursue this mission, Syngenta must adopt a long-term, sustained commitment, treating it as a strategic priority that will shape the company’s future. Technological innovation demands a substantial pool of highly skilled professionals, yet Syngenta currently lacks sufficient talent. Fortunately, China boasts abundant domestic resources for collaboration, with a large cadre of chemical‑industry experts and an extensive… Pesticide With a robust market and a well‑established chemical industry system, as long as we maintain confidence, determination, and perseverance, success is assured.
　　In 2016, Xianda established the “Xianda Agrochemical Innovation Research Institute” in collaboration with Nankai University and Central China Normal University. By leveraging the complementary strengths of all three parties, they jointly developed patented herbicides. Over the past two years, Xianda has invested substantial human resources, capital, and effort, yielding tangible results—sorghum, Corn Tianchuang’s novel herbicide, quinclorac (13161), has already begun registration and market promotion, and the company has partnered with major international firms to tap into global markets. Currently, several other promising herbicide products are undergoing field trials, including… Wheat In paddy fields, herbicides—over the next 5 to 10 years, XianDa’s patented products will gradually become the mainstay of the company’s portfolio and wield growing influence in both domestic and international markets. We are… seed Innovative work in the field is also underway.
　　As the founder of Xianda, my mission is to steer the company onto a path of technological innovation and to inspire confidence in the soundness and viability of this approach. Moving forward, we will gradually step back from the forefront, making way for younger generations to take center stage. I hope that, through the concerted efforts of successive generations, Xianda will hold high the banner of technological innovation, and its innovative business model will grow ever more robust and steadfast.