Morning — an aerospace supplier in the aircraft cluster
A large part of China's aviation and aerospace supply chain was placed inland in the 1950s and 1960s, and much of it is still in and around Xi'an: airframe structures, engine components, avionics and the tooling that goes with them. The visit is to a supplier rather than to a final assembly line, which is the more useful introduction for a delegation assessing sourcing. The host firm gives a briefing on its part in the chain, its qualification requirements and its lead times, followed by a walk through the areas it can open and a question session. What most groups want to know - tolerances, certification, how a foreign customer would be handled - is asked here.
Afternoon — an electronics or semiconductor manufacturer
The second visit is to a manufacturer in electronics, power devices or semiconductor packaging, arranged with access to the production floor where the host firm permits it. The briefing covers the product line, the equipment base, where the components and materials come from, and how quality control is organised. For a group looking at cost, the instructive part is usually the degree of automation and localisation: what is made in-house, what is bought in from elsewhere in China, and what still comes from outside.
Evening — a working dinner with local suppliers
The day ends with a dinner to which suppliers from both visits and their procurement staff are invited, which is the point at which questions that were not appropriate in a formal briefing usually get asked. Your interpreter is present throughout. Requests for specific companies are accommodated where the firm will receive a delegation, and direct contacts are exchanged by the firms themselves.
Meals
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
