Natalie Kitroff

They're investing in building factories and the equipment and the technology that you need to build all these other things.

Like building advanced factories was an end in and of itself.

And robotics, you're saying, was essential to that.

And so how did China execute this Made in China plan?

They essentially just imported that expertise wholesale.

So something pretty basic.

How do workers feel about this, Keith?

Obviously, in the United States, the idea of automating all these factory jobs has produced a ton of anxiety.

And I can imagine in China, it also might not feel great to see a robot take over.

But at the same time, you've said there's a reluctance among the Chinese to take these factory jobs.

So how's it playing?

Right.

It makes sense that if you're not actually seeing the main downside of automation, you might not be as opposed to it.

Keith, where does the U.S.

stand in terms of catching up?

And is it fair to assume that in order to genuinely compete with China, we'd have to make factories more like China's, heavily automated as much as possible?

It's interesting.

You're basically saying either way China wins.

If we want to compete, we have to buy their equipment to do that.

I want to ask about what all this says about the purpose of competing with China on manufacturing.