China's shift to high-end electronics takes time: HSBC

BEIJING - Chinese manufacturers will have to spend at least five years in their shift to high-end electronics as the country seeks to move up its value chain, the HSBC Global Research said.

China's strongest comparative advantage won't be in high-end electronics until its GDP per capita doubles to around $13,000, a goal which is unlikely to happen within the next five years, Ronald Man, an economist with HSBC Asia-Pacific, said in his latest note to investors.

China's shift to the higher end of the electronics market will give more Asian developed economies time to respond, while less developed economies will still have the chance to gain market share in basic electronics.

China accounted for 28 percent of global electronics exports last year, expanding from a market share of just 6 percent in 2001 when it joined the World Trade Organization, according to HSBC.

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