Thrashing It Out.(Column)

Byline: Kevin A. Wilson

The time difference between Detroit and Shanghai is 12 hours, so by definition it's the opposite side of the planet, and that ain't half of it. I went to Shanghai to cover the Michelin Challenge Bibendum (page 21). For all its focus on hardware and rallying, the event may prove of greatest value as a meeting ground where decision makers thrash things out.

Government regulators, politicians, United Nations diplomats, engineers from the automakers, parts suppliers, energy companies and the academic community get to meet and greet with those doing similar work on the far side of the world, and discuss matters in organized fashion in break-out groups and seminars. Most are specialists in this field, but that only means they have similar understandings of the problems. Their ideas of solutions differ dramatically, and Michelin's event could become a vital meeting ground. As Americans well know at election time, though, coming together to thrash things out can look ugly. The only thing uglier is not thrashing things out.

Bibendum's potential on this score was evident in Shanghai, where Asian participation expanded a lot. The result will be The Shanghai Report, which will come out next year with a summary of the group's "findings.'' I couldn't be at all the sessions, but it seemed to me most of the solutions aren't "ripe'' enough to declare findings just yet. The final symposium, billed as a "dialogue on sustainable road mobility,'' showed that real, worldwide discussion is just getting started. Do this annually for a decade, and you'd get a terrific report.

Discussing how China might resolve its transportation and energy problems, American, Japanese and European leaders often said things that sounded like, "We're doing this in our countries, just adopt our solutions.'' But China is going to solve its own conundrum its own ways, suggested others, including the Chinese, who have in mind a lot of things Americans have talked up without doing. ...