How To Use Machine Learning in Cyber Security

How To Use Machine Learning in Cyber Security

Machine Learning in Cyber Security – An intrusion detection system (IDS) is a type of software that works by monitoring computer systems or networks and detect any suspicious activities. The earliest form of IDS was invented in 19080 by James Anderson, which had a set of tools that administrators would use to monitor logs and other audit trails.

Over the years, IDS has technologically advanced to keep up with the ever-growing digital world. Researchers and experts have continuously updated the technology to ensure that they improve efficiency while at the same time prevent interference with network performance.

Deep learning is a subsystem of Machine learning, whose architectures can be used in multiple fields such as speech recognition, bioinformatics etc. In 1986, Rina Dechter introduced the word deep learning to the world of machine learning and in 2000, Igor Aizenberg and his counterparts used the term in artificial neural networks. The impact that deep learning has in the industry had not been felt until in the early 2000s and its applications widely began in 2010.

Dataset is a type of image recognition dataset that is used to develop algorithms for deep learning, self taught learning and unsupervised feature learning. When coming up with a project in machine learning, we have to use a dataset that will be used to train the model that you come up with on how they can carry out any necessary action.

One can only build capable IDS if you have a well functioning data set. When you have a data set that has a good amount of usable real time data that will help you to train the IDS and test it. One such data set is the NSL-KDD data set. This is the best data set that can be used to assess how the IDS are performing. This is because it has a lower detection time and high accuracy rate. The CIDDS-002 is also a data set that you can use to train the IDS.

How To Use Machine Learning in Cyber Security
How To Use Machine Learning in Cyber Security

It is most suitable for a small business network where there is unidirectional flow of traffic. This data set will give you a technical report with all the information concerning the data set as well as anonymized IP addresses. It is a publicly available data set and thus easy to access.

We can classify machine-learning algorithms in different ways. There is the supervised machine learning algorithms, unsupervised machine learning algorithms, semi-supervised machine learning algorithms and semi-supervised learning.

K-Means Clustering is one of the easiest and popular algorithms of Machine Learning. The variable K is used to represent the number of groups and the algorithm is thus used to find groups in the data. Using the features of the data set, this algorithm assigns data to each of the K groups. The data points are then grouped in terms of similarity.

Random Forest Classifier combines multiple algorithms to help in classification. It is able to come up with different decisions using the given data subsets. It thereafter comes up with a mean of all the votes to make a decision on the type of test.

Machine Learning Approach

Choosing the dataset

To create our project, we will use the NSL-KDD dataset. Prior to starting the project, research was undertaken on the best dataset that would assess the performance of our IDS system. NSL-KDD is a dataset that has a fast detection rate as well as a high accuracy level.

Setting up the environment

We will have to set up an environment that will be ideal for using ML and DL to improve our IDS system. A powerful computer system will be needed with a powerful CPU, high RAM of over 8GB, a great operating system as well as a GPU NVIDIA GeForce GTX 940 or higher.

Data pre-processing and creating the model

We can then process the data set to make it more readable and easier to process. The next step is to identify the best model with the highest accuracy rate. The next step will be the training phase where you will not use abnormal data, as this will be instantly be discarded by the IDS. The testing phase is the next step to help identify the performance score of our model.

Machine Learning Implementation

The last step is to create a website where we will make the project available to users. Users can access the improved IDS system on the website.

References

Dhanabal L & Shantharajah S.P (2015) A study on NSL-KDD Dataset for Intrusion Detection System Based on Classification Algorithms: International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer and Communication Engineering Vol 4 (6)

R.Sommer, V. Paxson, Outside the Closed World : On Using Machine Learning For Network Intrusion Detection, in: IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy, IEEE, 2010, pp. 305-316.

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What other machine learning in cyber security strategies do you have for making sure your tweets last as long as possible? Let us know in the comments!”

Ten Tips For Your Dissertation

Ten Tips For Your Dissertation

Ten Tips For Your Dissertation – This post focuses on ten tips for your dissertation, and using them will help you in writing your own dissertation and to support you in its successful completion. The below ten tips cover the planning, analyzing and presentation stages of the dissertation project itself. Your dissertation is an exciting and fulfilling challenge and should not be seen as daunting in any way. Trust me, once you start writing you will not stop, and you will complete your first 10,000 words in no time.

Ten useful tips for writing your dissertation

1. Analyse the question, again and again, make sure you are answering the questions you have deployed in your dissertation research

2. Plan your dissertation – Planning your workload will help you get your dissertation done on time. Make a plan, be realistic and try stick to it

3. Keep sentences short and straightforward. By keeping your sentences concise but meaningful, you will lessen the chances of grammatical and punctuation errors

4. Take care with spelling, particularly subject specific words if you are not sure how to spell a word, check a dictionary

5. Only include one argument or point of information per paragraph, this will make your work easier to read, digest and understand

6. Do not include any new information in your conclusions, the conclusions of your work should draw only upon what has already been written in your dissertation. If there is new information to be presented, it should be included in the main body of your dissertation

7. Ensure all information is correctly referenced. Any ideas you have taken from others, whether quoted directly, paraphrased or summarized, must be referenced

8. Keep it Interesting and Relevant – To try to keep the reader engaged and to make them read on

9. Check your dissertation brief for any specific format requirements – if specific format requirements have been set, i.e. for line-spacing or font, then you must adhere to them. Have this clarified by your dissertation supervisor. You do not want a lesser grade due to an oversight with the formatting

10. Proofread your work – Proofreading is such an important step, get a colleague or family member to proof read your dissertation and listen to any constructive feedback

Writing a dissertation is an enjoyable challenge!

My final piece of advice on the this topic is to keep the dissertation milestones at the forefront of your thoughts. Always keep track of the project duration and never exceed the deadline. Arranging regular meetings with your dissertation supervisor are a must to help keep you on track should you find yourself going off track.

Ten Tips For Your Dissertation
Ten Tips For Your Dissertation

Dissertations or theses are typically required of graduate students. Once completed, the dissertation or thesis is often submitted (with modifications) as a manuscript for publication in a scholarly journal.

Thus, the dissertation or thesis often provides the foundation for a new researcher’s body of published work. Writers will first want to determine whether the work in their dissertation or thesis merits publication. If it does, we then provide guidance on how to adapt a dissertation or thesis for submission to a journal.

Deciding To Submit a Dissertation or Thesis for Publication

When deciding to publish the work in a dissertation or thesis, it is important to consider whether the findings tell a compelling story or answer important questions. Whereas dissertations and theses may present existing knowledge in conjunction with new work, published research should make a novel contribution to the literature.

For example, some of your original research questions might be suitable for publication, and others may have been sufficiently addressed in the literature already. Likewise, some of your results may warrant additional analyses that could help answer the research questions more fully, and you may want to conduct these analyses before seeking publication.

You may also want to consider such factors as whether the current sample size provides sufficient power to adequately inform the analyses and whether additional analyses might clarify ambiguous findings. Consultation with colleagues can help evaluate the potential of the manuscript for publication as well as the selection of an appropriate journal to which to submit it.

Ten Tips For Your Dissertation – Adapting A Dissertation or Thesis for Publication

Once a decision is made to convert your dissertation or thesis into a manuscript for submission to a journal, you will want to focus attention on adapting it for publication. By attending to brevity and focus, writing style, relevant literature review and data analyses, and appropriate interpretation of the results or findings, you can enhance the fit of your manuscript for journal publication.

Editors and reviewers readily recognize an article that has been hastily converted; careful attention when reformatting the dissertation or thesis is likely to increase the manuscript’s potential for serious consideration and eventual publication. There are several steps writers seeking to prepare their dissertation or thesis for publication can take beforehand:

1 – Look at articles in the field and in relevant journals to see what structure and focus are appropriate for their work and how they are formatted.

2 – Request and consider the input of advisors, colleagues, or other coauthors who contributed to the research on which the dissertation or thesis is based.

The original research reported in a dissertation and thesis can then be reformatted for journal submission following one of two general strategies: the multiple-paper strategy or the conversion strategy

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Avoiding Plagiarism

Avoiding Plagiarism

A brief guide on avoiding plagiarism for students – It is vitally important to understand that a good dissertation involves the evaluation, synthesis and analysis of the work of others and that this is presented in a way that a reader can refer to the original sources. There is no doubt that you would have used existing academic matter in your dissertation to aid your literature review, analysis and findings sections.

With the dissertation you will have to adopt the correct referencing or citation in order to avoid plagiarism. “Many people think of plagiarism as copying another’s work, or borrowing someone else’s original ideas. But terms like “copying” and “borrowing” can disguise the seriousness of the offense” (http://www.plagiarism.org)

Who cares if I plagiarize?… You should!

If you use an author’s specific word or words, you must place those words within quotation marks and you must credit the source. Also, if you use your own words, if you obtained the information or ideas you are presenting from a source, you must document the source.

There are fundamental reasons why you should not plagiarize:

Plagiarism is simply stealing: stealing other people’s work, words and ideas. It is morally no better than stealing a car, or anything else. If someone stole your words and ideas, think how you’d feel.

Plagiarism represents information illiteracy. What does that mean? It means if you have to plagiarize, clearly, you are incapable of researching and assimilating your own thoughts and ideas. You are effectively illiterate when it comes to handling information. What you should be aiming for instead is information literacy.

Information Literacy is: “is knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner“. (Source: Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals)

Most common forms of plagiarism

  1. Copy directly from another source without presenting it as a quote or providing a reference
  2. Use ideas from another source without providing a reference
  3. Use too many words from another source when paraphrasing
  4. Submit someone else’s work or ideas as your own
  5. Include a diagram, image or data table from another source without providing a reference

How can you avoid plagiarism?
In many cases, students who find themselves accused of plagiarizing often have done so unintentionally. Poor organisation and time management, as well as a failure to understand good academic practice, are often to blame. You might therefore find it helpful to note the following points:

  • Manage your time and plan your work – ensure that you have enough time to prepare, read and write
  • When paraphrasing an author’s text, ensure that you use your own words and a sentence structure sufficiently different from the original text
  • In your notes, highlight in colour/bold any direct quotations you want to use in your assignment – this will help to ensure you use quotation marks with an appropriate reference when you are writing up your work
  • Allow enough time to check your final draft for possible referencing errors or omissions: for example, check that all your in-text citations have a corresponding entry in your reference list, and vice versa
  • Save all your notes, files, printouts and so on until you receive your final mark or grade. (Source: http://www.palgrave.com)

Avoiding plagiarism and quotations

Plagiarism is fraudulent stealing and may lead to serious consequences like imprisonment in the when exercised (Hu et al., 2015). Plagiarism can put human lives at risk and wide spread of illness in medical research field. The world today would not be where it is if plagiarism was not declared illegality hence giving room for new evolution of innovations like the new technology. Plagiarism destroys our industry reputation in our various professions areas.

It is important to keep accurate sources of your own work, in order to be properly to attribute the exact words ideas you draw from them. Make sure to record the exact page numbers if you dealing with a quotation. Paraphrasing is another way of avoiding plagiarism, as there is nothing wrong by summarizing other peoples work as long as you attribute the ideas to them.

Quotation is away to which guidance from various departments in the institutions are given. (Batane et al., 2010). Any direct inline quotations (that is quotations inserted in sentence) of someone else’s words must be put into quotation marks and attributed to their original author.

References

Batane, T., 2010. Turning to Turnitin to fight plagiarism among university students. Journal of Educational Technology & Society13(2), p.1.

Hu, Guangwei, and Jun Lei. “Chinese university students’ perceptions of plagiarism.” Ethics & Behavior 25.3 (2015): 233-255.

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Kant’s Autonomy in relation to Drug Use

Kant’s Autonomy in relation to Drug Use

Kant’s Autonomy in relation to Drug Use Assignment – Morality and ethics are like a reflection of what we believe where moral laws and tend to refine or improve what we believe in. In most societies, justifying the need to limit the use of drugs is always controversial as some people are of the view that they should be left to choose what is good for their bodies and what is not (Smith, 2002). Therefore, the legalization of drugs in some societies has been mandated on the grounds of helping people achieve their autonomy or exercise liberty.

However, there are always consequences associated with engaging in drug-taking activities where it is noted that drugs directly affect the self while indirectly impacting society (Altman, 2011). Therefore, the arguments for regulating the intake of drugs is centered around the consequences of taking drugs and the intentions to take drugs as well as the autonomy of the human being.  This brings the need to ask questions, is it right to regulate the use of drugs? Does an individual’s ability to choose limited through legislation, is this enslavement?

According to Kant, the individual or a person has a certain dignity that requires an individual’s respect. Kant notes that the reason showing why people are sacred stems from the idea that we are rational humans who can use logic (Altman, 2011). Kant also notes that human beings are autonomous beings meaning that one can act and choose freely. In this case, autonomy focuses on an individual’s ability to govern the self.

This school of through is therefore based on the ability to focus on the self as a way of determining what is moral and immoral instead of being influenced by the injunctions of other people (Kant’s Moral Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy), 2016). This, therefore, entails self-governance where an individual looks the self and hence pursuing the course of action that benefits the self despite the moral beliefs and norms revolving around the choice.

Further to that, according to Kant, an individual’s autonomy is compromised when the individual cannot make a decision individually. This is when an external body or external factors influence them may fail to be autonomous since the true self does not exist at this moment (Altman, 2011). For example, a child may have the inability to be autonomous as well as the disabled people or an oppressed individual as they may be having the inability to become autonomous.

This, therefore, presents autonomy as the ability to be fully aware of having authority over individual actions. Kant, therefore, calls upon the need to let the individual free will be the major guiding principle towards decision making rather than letting the socially developed principles and or laws and hence determining what is moral (Kant’s Moral Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy), 2016).

In this case, people should be guided by the maxims which they choose to abide by where such maxims can be regarded as universal by any being. Kant further notes that our emotions and subscriptions are external to the development of the will and therefore, they should not play a role in determining the ability to self-regulate (Altman, 2011).

Kant’s Autonomy
Kant’s Autonomy

In other words, Kant means that our feelings, habits, the emotions that we develop do not contribute towards the achievement of autonomy are they are seen as external. However, it is important to note that the idea of free will and making personal choices does not entail being governed by no laws, but is focuses on being governed by the laws that are developed by the self. In this case, the concept of autonomy works beyond being manipulated or manipulating other beings for the sake of our good (Smith, 2002). This, therefore, means that deception and lying are not okay since if I’m being deceived or manipulated, I cannot make an autonomous decision since the decision was based on false information.

Therefore, when it comes to the issue of drug use in relation to Kant’s arguments, it can be noted that if the decision to take drugs is personal and not influenced by other external factors, it can be considered as moral by the individual (Smith, 2002). The model by Kant promotes the idea that human beings have the right to do what they deem right to themselves provided that other factors do not influence it and it does not affect other people. in fact, people with freewill have the right to undertake what they need for their bodies including engagement in drug-taking provided that it is what makes them happy. Engaging in drug-taking can be likened to engaging in sports for one’s benefit (Altman, 2011).

However, engaging in drugs because you saw another individual looking good or because you heard that taking drugs gives you a good feeling may fail to be autonomous since your decision was influenced by the arguments of others (Smith, 2002). For the person taking drugs to benefits themselves or as per their own decision can be regarded as autonomous.

Therefore, the decision to both reject and or use drugs as long as it emanates from the self can be noted as autonomous — Kant’s theory given individual liberty to determine their maxim. Therefore, if you define your maxim, you get the ability to decide what is right or wrong. We also need to ask ourselves if we are doing something for our purposes, and if the answer to this is yes, then we are doing the wrong or rather an immoral thing (Altman, 2011). This is, therefore, majorly based on the issue of consent, where if an individual is aware of all the good and bad consequences of taking drugs, but they choose the standard or the maxim within which they wish to govern their lives.

Kant’s argument on autonomy focuses on people setting their standards and determining their fate, therefore, reducing an individual’s ability to choose what is right for them to hinders their autonomy. Despite the negative consequences of drug-taking, as long as I decide self-harm, then it’s okay. This, therefore, gives one the ability to discipline themselves and do whatever they want no matter the consequences. However, we should always take into consideration the maxim or the principle within which we act upon; this is by considering whether we would want to lie to be universally accepted (Smith, 2002).

The argument focuses majorly on the intentions of the individual rather than the consequences. In this case, if the intentions to take drugs was to satisfy the self-nourishment, then the decision can be determined as moral. The consequences, which include causing social disruptions or self-harm, in this case, are not taken into consideration. Kant notes that rationality and autonomy also entail the duty to make choices to harm oneself or choose death (Finnis, 1987).

Kant’s idea is much contested due to its focus on the concept of free will in some of the areas of an individual’s life.  Notably, when an individual’s actions are truly theirs, they should, therefore, not be forced by any external force, and in our lives, there are clear examples of various situations that are not autonomous (Smith, 2002). This is due to being governed by cultural laws and norms that influence the human to act in a given way, which, if let to make your own decision, you would choose to do it. Therefore, since the decision is influenced by an external factor such as a law, they fail to meet the conditions of being an autonomous decision.

That said, being compelled to make choices that do not resonate with our own beliefs and views would be enslavement. This would mean being forced to live as per another individual’s preferences, which would be unacceptable to people with different views about the use of drugs (Finnis, 1987).  Therefore, people with different drug preferences cannot agree on whether it is right or wrong to use drugs.

Kant’s Autonomy and Society

Therefore, according to Kant, any time we choose to do something, we are always influenced by our desire, and therefore there is a need to govern oneself without any external interference (Smith, 2002).  In this case, society cannot make decisions for an individual as people can define their standards. Governing the use of drugs would, therefore, be enslaving the people, and therefore Kant would not support the need to set government policies to regulate the use of drugs as it interferes with an individual’s autonomy (Finnis, 1987).

This is because any action that is conducted without being influenced externally had its moral worth, not because of its purpose but according to the maxim developed by the individual. Therefore, personal intentions or needs should not be weighed against the needs of the public since something good for me might be bad for the bigger population.

In conclusion, the argument concerning the need to regulate the use of drugs is a controversial one where people take different stands as per the philosophical argument they subscribe to. Looking into the consequences of drug use, it would only be good if the government uses its power to regulate the use of drugs to protect and keep safe the general population.

However, there is a need to consider the needs of the users and the ability for an individual to make personal decisions. Kant notes that there is a need to let the individual free will be the major guiding principle towards decision making rather than letting the socially developed principles and or laws and hence determining what is moral. In this case, an individual should not be forced to make decisions that do not resonate with our own beliefs.

References

Altman, M. C. (2011). Kant and applied ethics: The uses and limits of Kant’s practical philosophy. John Wiley & Sons.

Finnis, J. M. (1987). Legal enforcement of duties to oneself: Kant vs. neo-Kantians. Colum. L. Rev., 87, 433.

Kant’s Moral Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). (2016).

Smith, P. (2002). Drugs, morality and the law. Journal of Applied Philosophy19(3), 233-244.

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Transformation and Upgradation in Chinese Manufacturing Industry

Transformation and Upgradation in Chinese Manufacturing Industry

Chinese Manufacturing transformation and upgradation – Manufacturing is defined as the processing of raw materials obtained from the earth for the production of new, innovative, and useful products. Organizing and modernizing the manufacturing industries in a country promotes economic growth, eradicates unemployment and poverty, introduces advanced technologies and innovative products, and brings a lot of foreign exchange by exporting the local manufactured goods.

World’s most developed economies today have stabilized their industrial networks to encourage goods production at national level. In this way, these countries are generating large revenues every year by selling their products worldwide. According to Engels, industrial revolutions transform the living conditions of the community and lead to innovation. The modern technology and current progress in China is the essence of transformation and upgradation of its industries, which have captured the attention of industrialists across the world to make heavy investments in China’s manufacturing sector.

Since its appearance on the world map in 1949, China has been on the way of continuous progress and development. World Economic Forum report states that China is the world’s largest manufacturing economy today and considered to be the most competitive country with highly skilled and hardworking people (CEO Policy). Besides delivering low-cost labour and materials, China has now acquired a number of advanced drivers, such as infrastructure, favorable prices, and a well-established consumer-based supplier network (CEO Policy).

With the successful implementation of five-year plans, China has achieved most of the targets set by its financial representatives, but at the same time, many executives believe that the Chinese economic growth momentum has been weakened, and there is an ultimate need to spur a new round of progressive evolution (CEO Policy).

A recent report by United Nations Industrial Development Organization has provided some astonishing statistical figures on China’s industrial development (UNIDO). According to this report, China had manufacturing value added (MVA) share of more than 30% in comparison to that of developing countries, whose average share was around 11-14% (UNIDO).

The report also claims that in manufacturing employment, China had a share of 18-19%, while that of developing economies was 11-12%. China’s industrialization can be compared with collective industrialization of all the African countries due to China’s greater population (UNIDO). These figures show that with current progress, China will soon surpass the U.S. economy, which is currently the biggest economy in the world.

Chinese Manufacturing and Industrial Transformation and Upgrade Plan (2011-2015)

In 2011, the Chinese State Council released China’s Industrial Transformation and Upgrade Plan for the year 2011-2015 (Analysis on China’s Industrial Transformation). The plan proposed 8% annual increase in China’s total industrial added value, concentrating on emerging industries of strategic importance with a share of 15% (Analysis on China’s Industrial Transformation).

Moreover, the energy and water consumption per unit of industrial added value was to be reduced this by 21% and 30% respectively, while the carbon dioxide discharge was planned to decrease by over 21% (Analysis on China’s Industrial Transformation). The transformation plan had the following six transformational goals:

  • To transform the development mode to improve quality and profit margins;
  • To transform the development by innovating systems and processes;
  • To emphasize the proper utilization of available resources in order to ensure safety;
  • To decrease the percentage of carbon emissions;
  • To transform the current manufacturing models into digital, computerized, intelligent, and service technologies;
  • Proper adjustment of industrial designs to enhance working efficiency and employees’ coordination;
  • To change the macro-control practices on the basis of market force.

China Development Bank Industry Transformation and Upgrade Plan

In 2015, the China Development Bank (CDB) announced its industry transformation and upgradation plan, which was aimed to promote the “Made in China 2025” strategy and strengthen risk prevention and control as well as to boost the industrial development in China for successful implementation of the 12th Five-Year Plan (Industry Transformation). The key steps of the CDB plan are given below:

  • To introduce a diversified mechanism of foreign investment and provide loans to the manufacturing sector for industrial upgradation and technological transformation;
  • To provide financial support to key innovation strategies by particularly concentrating on high-tech industries;
  • To prioritize the large enterprises that are the backbone of economy in terms of support for research & development and systematic upgradation;
  • To endorse the “One Belt and One Road” plan by enhancing production capacity and providing loans for overseas megaprojects;
  • To upgrade the internal structure in industries and increase the regional coordination in China;
  • To ensure all the theoretical and practical assistance for innovative projects for the development of manufacturing industries and economic growth.

Open Up Policies and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

FDI is the investment made by foreign investors after analyzing the economical atmosphere in a particular country. This investment not only introduces the latest technologies but also provides various employment opportunities. China introduced its ‘open-up’ policies in 1979 so that more and more FDIs are brought to China.

The results of adopting these policies were exceptional as the FDI in China increased from US$ 1.23 billion in 1986 to US$92.40 billion in 2008 (Liu and Daly). In terms of aggregate FDI, China became the largest destination of FDI inflow among the developing nations and the second largest in the world following the United States (Liu and Daly).

The investor-friendly policies of China forced the investors from foreign countries to invest comparatively more in the manufacturing sector rather than the Agriculture and Service sectors (Liu and Daly). Consequently, more than 60 percent of total utilized FDI inflow was made in establishing manufacturing industries between 1997 and 2008 (Liu and Daly).

The most common reasons for large foreign investments in manufacturing were cheap labor and the relative low cost of materials in China (Liu and Daly). The increased FDI has enabled China to possess high technology, particularly in chemical, automotive, electronics, and petroleum industries.

Chinese Manufacturing Transformation and Upgradation
Chinese Manufacturing Transformation and Upgradation

China’s Five-Year Plans

Five-year plans are based on strategic planning for achieving specific goals and financial targets. A competitive advantage of FYPs is that they provide a clear direction to the financial experts and governments for their economical position in the future. So far, China has introduced 13 FYPs; the last one was published in October 2016 by Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler China (KPMG). This article has discussed the 12th and the 13th FYPs and has analyzed the implementation of the 12th FYP in terms of accomplishing the set targets.

The 12th Five-Year Plan and Chinese Manufacturing

China’s 12th Five-Year Plan focused on the emergence of seven strategic industries: energy saving and environmental protection, new generations of IT technology, biotechnology, high-end equipment manufacturing, new energy, new materials, and new energy vehicles (CEO Policy). The plan moved the Chinese economy in the right direction with the development of numerous new industries creating thousands of employment opportunities.

The World Bank China 2030 report proves that China has maintained and expanded its presence as one of the most competitive countries in the world (China 2030). Since the implementation of 12th FYP, China has posed an imminent threat to the developed economies in terms of economic competition.

Analysis of the 12th FYP

The article by Li, Wang, and He analyzed the implementation of China’s 12th Five-Year Plan in terms of its prospects for the next five years. An analysis of eight essential aspects related to economy, society, and ecological environment of the plan revealed that the achievements found in the plan implementation have consolidated the confidence for organizing an all-round well-off society of China by the year 2020 (Li, Wang, and He).

The authors concluded that most of the issues were controlled through appropriate measures (Li et al.). The research work also presented various useful suggestions for the preparation of the National Economic and Social Development 13th Five-Year Plan (Li et al.).

13th Final-Year Plan

China’s 13th Final-Year Plan for the years 2016-2020 was announced in October 2016 by Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler China (KPMG). This plan had seven development priorities, which are listed below:

  • To develop an economic structure that is focused on innovations, industrial upgradation, and foreign investments in the manufacturing sector;
  • To enhance foreign investment for transformation and upgradation of all the industries in China;
  • To increase the mutual coordination for regional development by investing in service and operational infrastructure;
  • Introducing ecology-first mechanism in industrial development by promoting green finance, green development, and green technology;
  • To improve the quality of lifestyle of Chinese people by increasing public spending and bringing transparency in financial matters;
  • To escalate the global interaction by making investments in natural resources and importing technologies from different countries;
  • To expand the institutional and market-oriented reforms.

Current Status of the Chinese Manufacturing Sector

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 29 industrial divisions managed to increase their profits, while 12 out of 41 divisions have recorded a decline (China’s Industrial Transformation). Oil processing, cooking, and nuclear fuel-processing divisions had a substantial growth of 9.7 times, whereas the power and heat production, electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing, textile, and automobile manufacturing industries all grew in different degrees (China’s Industrial Transformation).

The Deputy Director of NBS reported that as a result of innovative and entrepreneurial activities and achievements, various new industries grew rapidly in 2015, and the value added of high-tech and equipment manufacturing industries reached up to 10.2% and 6.8% respectively (China’s Industrial Transformation). The growth is still continued, and with the implementation of “Make in China 2025” strategy, China is likely to become the world’s biggest exporter in the next decade.

Conclusion

Since technological advancement was necessary for improving manufacturing processes and the quality of products, the transformation of manufacturing industries in China showed remarkable achievements. During the early stages of the plan, country’s exports in manufacturing sector shared just 50% of the total national exports (Liu and Daly). These low values of exports were the result of traditional manufacturing techniques and less developed industrial productivity, which attracted only a few foreign investors to make investments in China (Liu and Daly).

In order to bring more and more foreign investments into the country, several foreign investment policies and upgradation plans were devised by the government, which increased the total share of manufactured exports from 74.4% in 1990 to 104.2% in 2012 (Zhang et al.).

Today, Chinese products are available in every corner of the world, and due to better quality with reduced price, customers prefer Chinese products to the national ones. To achieve further economic growth, China needs to develop energy-efficient manufacturing sectors, improve its property protection policies and innovation capabilities, invest more in training new talents, and increase spending in the research and development sector.

Though Chinese manufacturing has a competitive advantage of being a talented and hardworking nation, they still need to learn innovation in advanced future technologies and organize their own standards in engineering.

Works Cited

Analysis on China’s Industrial Transformation and Upgrade Plan (2011-2015). Hanking, n.d.,

CEO Policy Recommendations for Emerging Economy Nations. WEFORUM, n.d., 2016,

China 2030: Building a Modern, Harmonious, and Creative High-Income Society. Worldbank, n.d., 2012.

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Liu, Kelly, and Kevin Daly. Foreign Direct Investment in China Manufacturing Industry – Transformation from a Low Tech to High Tech Manufacturing. International Journal of Business and Management, vol. 6, no. 7, 2011, pp. 15-27.

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Chinese Manufacturing Relevant Dissertation Links

Does Foreign Direct Investment Influence Economic Growth In Rapidly Growing Economies? An Examination of China and India

MBA Dissertation – Chinese Business Culture

External Finance and Firm Performance – Evidence From China

International Business Entry Mode in China

What challenges does the Textile structure of Shandong Province Face in the Developmental process of Industries? A Study of Textile Industries in Shandong Province China?

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