On most issues China is not only defiant, but openly disobedient. Environmental issues in China are no exception. Despite many western propositions and standards, the Chinese have decided they do not care much for the environment or any protocol that should be followed. There are a number of ways that they openly disregard motions set by global commissions and organizations, but pollution and deforestation are among the two worst.

Pollution in China

Pollution remains one of the worst environmental issues in China. As recently as 2009 China overtook the United States as the world’s top emitter of fossil fuels at 7,710 metric tons (25.4%). America stood at only 5,420 metric tons in that same year.

It is true that China is the largest country by population, but their disregard for environmental issues is baffling to many onlookers and critics. Much of China is actually arid desert so it makes no sense that the Chinese would be polluting their air and land so freely. Nonetheless, they have industrialized their cities so much that spending a day in Shanghai is supposedly comparable to smoking a pack of cigarettes.

One of the reasons that China is such a poor protector of the environment is their reliance on coal. They consume the most coal in the world and do so without regard to Kyoto Protocol that they have ratified. They are not bound by the agreement, unfortunately, which makes for a difficult situation.

While China agrees that they should try their best to eliminate pollution, they have not taken the necessary steps to prove they are willing to do so. The rhetoric from the Chinese Communist party bigwigs is less about curbing their own carbon emissions as much as it is about pointing the finger towards America and historic pollution levels. Their main argument is that Americans pollute more on a per capita basis than do the Chinese.

While this may be true, many American pollution standards have prompted companies to change their ways and innovate the way they do business.

Deforestation in China

The Chinese are a developing nation with an insatiable appetite for raw materials. They also have large forests that can provide much of the material that they need. Therefore, within the last decade or two, the country has begun a large-scale campaign to use all the forests in the country for the development of the country.

While this may be economically good for the nation, it is detrimental for the Chinese environment and that of the rest of the world. The carbon emissions from deforestation are far worse than other types of emissions. They also leave China with less oxygen providing trees while they add the additional emissions into the air.

China Changing Environmental Policy

Hopefully the western nations will be able to put enough pressure on China to change their nonchalant environmental policy, but the future looks gloomy. The rate in which China is growing is too fast for the governmental bigwigs to allow any alteration of the current production. It may be many years before anyone sees a better environmental policy from China.

Sources:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/apr/21/countries-responsible-climate-change?intcmp=122

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jan/31/world-carbon-dioxide-emissions-country-data-co2

Abuses of Labor in China

One of the most well known examples of labor abuses in China stems from the Apple product development plants. Due to the enormous demand for iPhones and iPads, many Apple managers and directors forced workers to spend excessive overtime. Not only were workers supposed to work overtime, but the conditions were also appalling.

In fact, just last year there were a number of Apple employees working in the same manufacturing plants who committed suicide. This year the managers are forcing employees to sign an anti-suicide pact to avoid such problems.

The legal limit of overtime in China is 36 hours, but many of the employees at two southern Apple plants were forced to work upwards of 98 overtime hours in addition to their normal work week. This leaves very little time for anything else during these busy months. In addition, the little time off is spent in crowded dormitories that house hundreds and even thousands of rural migrant workers that come to the city for part of the year. Many of these workers only make enough money to send home and barely survive.

U.S. Based Companies Object

In a particularly business-like maneuver, many U.S. based multi-national companies have fought proposed Chinese legislation to protect workers’ rights. They have found China to be far too profitable to be changed by unions and other organized labor movements. Wal-Mart, UPS, Microsoft, Nike, AT&T, Intel, and even Google were among the culprits that actively lobbied against these reforms. Nonetheless, the Chinese government has been reluctant to change much so long as their economy remains robust. Increasing workers’ rights would increase the cost of goods and make them less competitive.

Labor Rights in China Moving Forward

The horizon for Chinese workers does not look good. So long as American big-business and Chinese government officials are controlling the money and the politics, there will be no respite for Chinese workers. China is growing too fast for the Communist party to allow any disruptions. The increase in the Chinese middle class has already made the country less competitive. Chinese treatment of laborers has been poor for many years and it does not look like it will let up anytime soon. Organized Chinese labor is making some inroads, but overall it seems that a glimmer of hope is far in the distance.

Sources:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/apr/30/apple-chinese-workers-treated-inhumanely

http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/GLS_ChinaArticle.html

Cruelty Towards Animals in China

In China there has historically been little protection for animals. As late as 2006 there were no laws regarding animal protections at all. In some places the police officers are allowed to shoot stray dogs on sight.

However, many of the worst offenses are done against animals for monetary gain. Many foxes and other animals are skinned while alive in order to produce furs for clothing and other goods. Fish and many other animals are also traditionally killed while alive instead of first killed and then dressed. This has been seen all over social media outlets in the past few years.

The animal cruelty in China is not only a product of government negligence. Many Chinese people (like others around the world) have not been educated enough to realize the damage and cruelty they are inflicting. In 2006 one of the reasons that China started to pass minimal animal cruelty laws was because of a woman who crushed a kitten to death with her stiletto heels. Many gruesome images were captured and shared across the internet.

Animal Cruelty in Chinese Food Industry

The food industry in China is notorious for lax and non-existent animal cruelty laws. Many of the animals in China do not live in conditions that befit even the animals meant for slaughter. Not only are their conditions cruel, but they are also unhealthy for the people living and eating there.

Many of the seafood and meat products are manufactured with some type of animal abuse. Although some of it is subtle, the animals are still suffering nonetheless. Many aid workers and activists try to change the status quo, but Chinese governmental regulations prevent any real change from happening. In some cases it is almost as if the Chinese Communist party likes animal cruelty to occur.

Animal Cruelty in China Looking Forward

In some ways the future of animal cruelty in China looks good. Some laws have been passed that are meant to protect the rights of animals, but overall the efforts have been lackluster at best. In many cases there is no oversight by the government.

The people of China are largely okay with their totalitarian rule because they are measured some level of freedom. The ability to treat animals in the same way as they have been for centuries is one of these freedoms that common Chinese may unfortunately never give up.

Sources:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/1512082/Just-who-is-the-glamorous-kitten-killer-of-Hangzhou.html

From then on Guangcheng made it his mission to document the lives and atrocities committed against these women. Alone he documented over 7,000 cases of victimized women who were forced to abort their unborn babies.

Chinese One Child Policy

The Chinese one child policy has frequently been criticized, but few people outside of China know the implications of the policy. It isn’t just the lack of freedom to raise as many children as you wish, but it includes forced abortions, kidnapping, and violence.

Many of the women who do not willingly abort their children are forced to do so by Communist officials and then sterilized to make sure it never happens again. Yeqing Ji, a woman from Shanghai, China, will never be able to have babies again because the forced abortions have made her uterus sterile. This is one of the many stories told during the several congressional hearings about human rights in China.

Public Outcry Against Chinese Abortion

Thankfully, there are many in the United States that support Guangcheng and the rights of women throughout China. Many activists have pressured policy-makers and politicians in order to get answers from the Chinese government. The activists have had some measure of success. A recent U.S. Congressional Executive Commission on China released a report saying that “in areas of human rights and rule of law this year, China’s leaders have grown more assertive in their violations of rights, disregarding the very laws and international standards that they claim to uphold…” Finally, some American policy makers are openly reacting to the violence that has plagued China, and women in particular, for decades.

Activists and aid workers have known this for years, however. Human Rights Watch has had a close eye on the forced abortion in China for many years, but never had the platform to change the system. In fact, according to Sophie Richardson, the China Director of Human Rights Watch, 2011 was actually one of the worst years for these atrocities. The Chinese government has become more brazen in their disregard for international law and basic human rights due to the inactivity of global leaders.

Get Active and Change the World

There is a way that you can end forced abortions in China. Get out in the streets and protest these atrocities with signs and let the world know what is happening. Create a blog, update your Facebook status, or Tweet a message. Do whatever you have to do to bring awareness to the millions of Chinese women who are subjected to this violence every year. This is the only way to change the way world leaders perceive the Chinese actions.

Sources:

http://www.lifenews.com/2012/05/09/chen-guangcheng-documented-7000-forced-abortion-cases/

http://liveaction.org/blog/chinas-forced-abortion-policy-in-international-spotlight/

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/woman-china-forced-abortions-leaves-unable-children/story?id=14880884#.T6q3jOt8DNs

Dwindling Allies for China

Without their power as a trading nation, China would have even fewer allies than they do today. As it is, the Chinese government has fewer allies than it would hope. North Korea has been a longtime friend and ally to China, especially after the Korean War in the 1950’s. This is one ally that China does not want to lose.

A study performed by the Council on Foreign Relations in June 2008 explained that China is “North Korea’s most important ally, biggest trading partner, and main source of food, arms, and fuel…Pyongyang is economically dependent on China…has accounted for nearly 90% of the country’s energy imports.” Therefore, it is also in China’s interest to maintain close ties with North Korea for economic reasons.

A Crack in China’s Relationship with North Korea

Within the past couple of years, China’s relationship with North Korea has turned sour in many ways. For the Chinese government, a neighbor with nuclear weapons does not seem appealing. After many years of aligning themselves with the North Koreans, the Chinese finally stated that they were opposed to nuclear testing in 2006. They even recommended U.N. sanctions on the country.

Since then tensions have become even more strained. The North Korean sinking of ROKS Cheonan and the bombardment of Yeonpyeong has upset the Communist government in China. Although American pressure party explains their tough stance on their northern allies, it is obvious that there are riffs between China and North Korea. The Chinese relationship with her North Korean allies is not as well cemented as it was.

Most recently, China is trying to patch their relationship with North Korea after condemning their missile launch earlier this year. While the Chinese will not go so far as to endorse North Korean claims to grow their own missile program, the Chinese are stuck in a proverbial rock and a hard place. They are well aware of what is at stake.

Chinese Relations with North Korea Moving Forward

The Chinese relations with North Korea moving forward are hard to tell. The Communist party is increasingly extricating itself from ties with North Korea, but the historic bond still remains. It may be possible that this is a trough in their relationship, which will shortly be followed by a peak. In any case, the American government and people will be very interested to keep an eye on developments in that part of the world.

Sources:

http://www.cfr.org/china/china-north-korea-relationship/p11097

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/ND24Dg01.html

Philippine Reaction

The President of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino, has issued a warning to neighboring countries to beware of China’s increased assertiveness in the South China Sea. The foreign secretary of Philippines, Alberto del Rosario has implored the neighboring nations and global powers to take a unified stand against Chinese aggression in hope of reaching a peaceful solution to the increasingly disputed territories in the South China Sea.

Rosario predicted that other nations in the region would find themselves in similar predicaments if they didn’t take a stand. Rosario’s contention is that the South China Sea is of great strategic importance to the nations in the region. Freedom of navigation to carry out trade and commerce through the trading lanes in the South China Sea is essential to the survival and prosperity of all nations in the region; they should be equally as alarmed by the Chinese claim on the Scarborough Shoal, which according to Rosario, is baseless.

China insists that the entire South China Sea, including areas close to other South-East Asian countries, belongs to China. Countries like the Republic of the Philippines and Vietnam have become increasingly wary of the aggressive posture adopted by China on this issue leading to increased friction and tension in the region.

The Precipitating Events

April 8th witnessed the latest in a series of incidents between Philippines and China. When the Philippines dispatched its warships to arrest the crew of Chinese fishing boats near Scarborough Shoal, China immediately countered with three civilian vessels which blocked and delayed the warships.

To prevent further escalation of the matter, Philippines replaced its warship with a Coast Guard ship following which the fishing boats were allowed to sail away. However, the situation led to the current standoff when China refused to withdraw its civilian vessels unless Philippines did the same with its Coast Guard vessel.

Military officials expect the tensions over the disputed territory to drag on for several years unless China approaches the negotiating table with sincerity. This analysis has led to suggestions that the government needs to employ a better strategy, including establishing a minimum deterrent force, to counter the perceived Chinese threat.

The Department of Foreign Affairs accused China of maintaining its aggressive stance on the issue, as China refused to reduce tensions in the region by pulling out its ships.

China and Russia: Strange Bedfellows?

While China is involved in territorial disputes with its Southern and Eastern neighbors, it is currently engaged in joint naval exercises with Russia. These exercises are indicative of warming ties between the militaries of Russia and China, and a convergence of strategic interests.

According to CCTV, the Chinese state broadcaster, the joint exercises lasted six days and featured anti-submarine operations, simulated anti-aircraft operations, search and rescue operations and evaluation of electronic countermeasures along with more sensitive technologies.

While China and Russia have never had a comfortable relationship, they have started finding common ground on regional and global issues. This convergence of strategic interests of Russia and China has often resulted in the two countries voting against Western proposals in the United Nations Security Council.

President Aquino: “China is practically claiming the whole body of water”

Philippine President Aquino said that China’s claims in the South China Sea included a huge area, a part of which is alarmingly close to Philippine territories. Referring to the map of the disputed area, Aquino pointed out that China was laying claims to the entire area, and that this should be a cause for concern for the other countries in the region.
The naval maps point out that the Chinese territory closest to the disputed islands is the Hainan province which is 1200 kilometers away in the northwest of the islands. On the other hand, the shoal is a mere 230 kilometers away from the main island of Philippines, Luzon.

Aquino’s warnings have come quickly after the Philippine government announced that it would raise the issue of the increased tensions and the dispute with the US at a high level meeting scheduled for next week. According to Aquino, Scarborough is within Philippines’ exclusive economic zone as recognized by the international community.

The issue will be formally brought up in talks between Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Foreign Secretary Alberto del Rosario, and their American counterparts Leon Panetta and Hillary Clinton, to be held in Washington.

Will we see U.S. Involvement?

The Philippines and the United States are party to a pact which obliges the United States to come to Philippines’ aid should Philippines be a victim of military aggression. However, Manila’s decision to take the issue up with the United States could further antagonize China, which is keen to keep the United States out of these disputes.

The Chinese claims over the entire South China Sea have resulted in territorial disputes with a number of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries including Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan.

Earlier calls to the ASEAN countries from the Philippines to take a united stance against Chinese claims in the South China Sea didn’t evoke considerable response due to a fear of reprisals from Asia’s most powerful nation.

Bayan Statement on the Incursions on Panatag Shoal

According to the Bayan (Bagong Alyansang Makabayan), China’s incursions at the Panatag Shoal betray its imperialistic attitude in the region. It beggars belief that China should lay claim to territory which lies within Philippines’ exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Bayan is a left leaning organization which shares the goals and vision of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army, which is the Maoist inspired armed wing of the Communist Party. Renato Reyes Jr., the Secretary General of Bayan has no doubts that the aggressive posture adopted by China is due to the imperialistic ambitions harbored by China’s capitalist leadership. China might still be a communist country in terms of politics, but is unabashedly capitalist when it comes to economic matters. However, Bayan doesn’t want the government of Philippines to increase US presence in the region by using the Panatag Shoal as an excuse, claiming that any intervention by the US will be a violation of Philippine national sovereignty.

The defense secretary Voltaire Gazmin insists that the Chinese incursion is a case of territorial violation and breach of international laws by China. Gazmin stressed that, given the aggressive posture adopted by China, nothing short of a modernized military will be able to counter Chinese aggression.

More of the Same from China

At this point, is anyone truly surprised that China is using aggressive measures to bully neighboring countries for its own gain? Whether or not the US gets involved, it seems clear that China will continue to take such actions until combined forces of neighboring nations put a stop to them.

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) remains a country with many instances of widespread and systemic violations of human rights. The government of China maintains a political stranglehold over the legal system and actively suppresses views and opinions of dissenters. This often results in an arbitrary and a farcical judicial system. As the Chinese Government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are not accountable to any higher authority, it is common to see government and party officials abusing their power. This article highlights one of the most widespread and common forms of abuse; the torture and mistreatment of prisoners in China.

It is common for detainees and inmates to be tortured in Chinese prisons and detention centers. In spite of signing the UN Convention against Torture in 1998, the government of China has not put systems in place to prevent the ill treatment and torture of prisoners. State prosecutors consistently refuse to provide the results of autopsies to the families of people dying in custody even though the use of torture is apparent in several of these cases. Most of these cases of death in custody aren’t even investigated to determine the actual cause of death. Ordinary prisoners in China, as well as political prisoners, are subject to regular beatings, given low quality and insufficient food and put up in unhygienic conditions as part of the interrogation process to elicit the confessions or cooperation.

Prisoners have often reported the use of electric batons in beatings, rubber truncheons, painful use of leg irons along with handcuffs for long periods, long spells in solitary confinement and frequent food restrictions to induce starvation. While this is bad enough, there are reports of corrupt officials in prisons, labor camps and detention centers extorting large bribes from the families of the prisoners just to ensure that the prisoners can use the provisions of medicines and other daily supplies that the state allocates for them anyways.

The International Committee of the Red Cross along with the US Special Rapporteur on Torture and other humanitarian organizations haven’t yet been able to persuade the Chinese officials to allow unrestricted official visits to Chinese prisons to inspect the treatment meted out and the condition of the 1.2 million detainees and prisoners in China.

The use of the death penalty in the Chinese judicial process has seen a dramatic increase in the last few years. The anti crime campaigns launched by the Chinese government is partly responsible for the increase in the number of executions and death sentences. Unlike other countries, offences like theft, non violent property crimes, forgery and embezzlement can be punished by the death penalty.

In 1993, China had the dubious distinction of carrying out over three fourths of all executions worldwide. In fact, January 9, 1993 witnessed 356 prisoners in China being sentenced to death and 62 prisoners being executed. 2,564 people were sentenced to death in the year 1993 alone out of which 1,419 were confirmed to have been executed. The actual count of executions and death sentences is thought to be considerably higher than the official figures suggest. Not all defendants get a lawyer to defend them and some that do have no more than a couple of days to prepare the defense of a case that carries the death penalty. The basis for a large majority of the death sentences is forced confession and the verdict of the adjudication committees. This summarily violates the defendants’ rights to presumption of innocence, a public hearing and a fair trial.

Cases of Suspicious Deaths

The issue of ill treatment of prisoners in China was brought to public and worldwide attention by the death of 24 year old Li Qiaoming. While his death wasn’t a result of torture, if was indicative of the poor state of the prisons in China. As incredulous as it might sound, the initial statement by the police suggested that Li died while playing hide and seek with his fellow prisoners. However, according to the state owned Xinhua news agency, Li died after being beaten brutally in detention by three fellow inmates in the Jinning County, located in China’s Yunnan Province in the south. The widespread coverage of this issue sparked a heated debate across the country, especially since there were at least four other prisoners who died under suspicious circumstances in prisons. One of these was a 50 year old man, Li Wenyan who reportedly died while he was suffering from a nightmare according to a senior police official.

Prison deaths and the treatment of prisoners has always been a sensitive subject in China, but have attracted a lot of attention after being widely reported across the Chinese media and the internet. According to the English publication, China Daily, experts on the issue have been demanding the prison facilities to be managed by neutral parties.

Prison Time in China: The Inherent Risks

Xu Na was is serving a three year sentence after being arrested for being a member of the Falun Gong spiritual movement which had recently been outlawed and targeted by the Chinese officials. She now risks being ill treated and getting tortured in the prison. According to Amnesty International, she is a victim and a target for the Chinese authorities for simply exercising her right to choose and follow a religion.

Similarly, Xu Na was convicted of using a heretical organization to impede and undermine the peaceful implementation of law. Her trial saw Xu express her desire to appeal the sentence. Xu faces the terrible possibility of serving a second sentence in Chinese prisons after being imprisoned from 2001 to 2006 for allowing traveling members of Falun Gong, who were going to Beijing to participate in a protest, to stay in her apartment.

During her first stint in prison, Xu was subjected to torture, beatings, forced feeding, being tied up, and sleep deprivation. Given her terrible experience in prison, her concerns are not completely unfounded. This time, Xu and her husband were arrested after a routine search after the police discovered material related to Falun Gong. Her husband, Yu Zhou died while in detention, raising questions and suspicions of police brutality. Ever since her detention, Xu’s parents haven’t been allowed to visit her or speak with her.

Corrective Measures for This Situation

China’s Ministry of Public Security has repeatedly launched campaigns to try and instill greater respect for the law, human rights and professional ethics amongst prison officials. Despite the so called ‘effort’, nothing appears to have changed. China is still frequently criticized for the ill treatment of prisoners, and the Committee Against Torture remains deeply troubled by the continued allegations of widespread torture of prisoners and detainees in China.

Sources:

http://english.people.com.cn/200102/19/eng20010219_62811.html

http://www.christusrex.org/www1/sdc/hr_facts.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7978320.stm

China is rated among the lowest in organ donation rates in the world, and people in the country are turning in desperation to illegal organ trading websites. The demand for organ transplants is rising in China, and with supply slow to follow, the black market is the only alternative for some gravely ill patients. Selling organs in China has become quite easy and lucrative for willing participants.

One black market website is full of advertisements by organ brokers, with contact numbers openly displayed. The advertisements promise safe surgeries and a fast payout. All that’s required to initiate the process is a phone number or other contact information.

The Problem

In China as many as 1.5 million people are in need of organ transplants, but only about 10,000 receive them every year. Sadly it’s reported that 4 out of 5 patients in need of transplants die while waiting for a compatible donor. Added to that, only a few Chinese citizens agree to donate their much needed organs upon death, widening the gap between supply and demand.

Noted Professor Zhai Xiaomei from the Chinese Academy of Medical Science say it’s because of this widening abyss between supply and demand that the illegal organ trade still flourishes.

In the year 2007, China forbade transplanting organs from living donors with the exception of close relatives, spouses, adopted and step family members. With less organs qualified for transplant and an increasing amount of patients in need, the problem has only worsened.

Illegal traffickers of organs have stepped their game up in order to fill the void. A newspaper in Guangzhou, the Southern Weekend told the story of a worker from Hunan province that decided to sell his kidney in Shanxi province in order to pay his debts.

However, Hu had a change of heart before surgery, but found his ID, mobile phone and other belongings missing. The traffickers then informed him that he was not allowed to leave the city until he had proceeded with the surgery. This story blew the lid off of an illegal network of black market organ traders.

Zheng Xiaojun claims “The illegal trade is widespread in China. There’s a growing demand…so there’s a vast underground market for organ trafficking in China, acting as a mediator between the seekers and donors of organs”.

Corrupt Doctors

Zhai Xiaomei has pointed out that these illegal surgeries could not be performed without the help of corrupt doctors who profit from allowing questionable transplants. Xiaomei has accused the brokers of lying about the relationships between recipients and donors, as the law allows donation between close relatives. She goes on to claim than many doctors look the other way in exchange for a cut of the profits.

Lax Punishments and Loopholes

Lack of proper regulations and legal loopholes make organ trafficking easier, according to the Procuratorial Daily. The 2007 Regulation to control organ trafficking requires punishment for employees of medical institutes, but for those buying and selling organs the punishment is too lax. Many of the donors use fake ID’s to pose as relatives of the recipients. The Health Ministry announced that it would crackdown on medical facilities that are found to be performing transplants without the legal qualifications, imposing hefty fines, and requiring hospitals to proceed with institutional overhaul or risk shut-downs. Medical staff found guilty of breaking laws will be stripped of their licenses, and officials will be held legally responsible.

China’s government is also attempting to alleviate the organ shortage. In 2008, a registry for liver transplants was established in Shanghai. In 2009, China launched a system to coordinate post death donations, starting with a prototype program that started in 10 provinces and cities which encouraged post-death organ donations as well as starting a fund for those in need and to the families of donors.

Yet, despite these ongoing efforts, the China Daily reported that in 2009, 65% of all organs came from prisoners that had been executed.

Chinese citizens are encouraged to become organ donors, and can opt in when they receive driver’s licenses and ID cards. Critics doubt that the driver’s license program will work as most Chinese citizens believe they would be cursed if they consent to donate their organs.

The latest numbers regarding transplants are a major blow to China, which has been criticized for its reputation of using the organs of executed prisoners as the main source for transplants. The claim has been recently acknowledged by Huang Jiefu, the vice Health Minister during a recent interview by state media. Professor Zhai says the government now realizes it must find other solutions. The problem with using the organs of condemned prisoners is that there will always be questions about whether the organs were donated voluntarily.

Slow Progress

The head of the Red Cross in the city of Shenzhen, Zhao Lizen, helped to start up the nation’s first donation office a year ago. She has stated that promoting organ donation is not an easy job in a country where people still cling onto traditional values. The act of cremation is just now becoming acceptable in China, and request for people to become donors has been met mostly with rejection.

Dr. Daniel Wikler of the Harvard School of Public Health works with countries such as China on developing solutions. In Wikler’s opinion a multifaceted national campaign is needed to promote organ donation.

It is a vexing task, but Zhai Xiaomei insists that the government must step up to the challenge, as to do nothing will encourage crime, even murder, to acquire organs; and the gap between the rich and poor will only increase.

Sources:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-organ-trafficking-trial-exposes-grisly-trade-1976808.html

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/dec2006/chin-d29.shtml

http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/secondhandsmoke/2009/11/21/biological-colonialism-china-organ-trade-thriving/

In recent years the number of Chinese millionaires has actually grown quite a bit, with as many as 50,000 more Chinese striking it rich each year. During this same time period the number of Chinese ‘super rich’, those worth more than 10 million renminbi, has also risen considerably. The trend goes on, with over 2,000 Chinese billionaires and over 100 worth in excess of 10 billion renminbi.

As hard as it is to believe, China’s super rich are steadily growing in number while the average peasant still earns less than $5,000 US dollars per year.

The rich in China get richer…

Just over 300 million people in China are living in relative luxury, while hundreds of millions of laborers break their backs every day to earn wages that leave them in abject poverty. Basically, the well to do in China are getting richer by exploiting the countries 1 billion peasants, who are forced to work long hours in horrid conditions for pennies.

Peasant workers in Kangbao County in Hebei Province are lucky if they can have some pickled cabbage and potatoes for lunch, while a couple hundred kilometers away in the Qianmen Street commercial district of Beijing, lunch in an upscale restaurant can cost as much as 1,000 renmibi, a sum which would take a peasant several months to earn.

The social demarcation is obvious in Shanghai and Beijing, as the wealthy live in upscale neighborhoods while laborers are forced into overcrowded areas, sometimes living in only a few square feet in squalid conditions.

Social Discrimination in China

The unlivable conditions and lack of consistent income has resulted in a rise in the crime rate for laborers younger than 30, says Li Shi, director of the Income Inequality and Poverty Research Center at Beijing Normal University. Peasants from rural areas are openly discriminated against, and forced to live a life most dogs wouldn’t envy. This discrimination is considerably worse in China as compared to other developing nations.

Will Foxconn change anything?

The Foxconn suicides, at least in the short term, have led to a wage hike in an attempt to quiet the outrage and keep workers on the production lines. Low wages are just one part of the problem though, as there are no labor unions to lobby for fair treatment, and a total lack of welfare guarantees like publicly funded medical care, access to education or insurance. China’s rigid household registration requirements only aggravates the situation further, as it divides the population into urban and rural households, ensuring that the concentration of power and money stays in the hands of those who need it the least.

More of the same…China still sucks!

For the time being, it seems that China will continue to be an embarrassment for the human race. As long as those who benefit from doing business with the Chinese turn a blind eye to the disgraceful treatment, human rights violations and shameless exploitation of laborers going on within the country’s borders, those in power have no real reason to do things differently. Only radical changes in public policy can begin to right the wrongs mentioned here, and at present, the outside pressure that would be necessary to force such change just isn’t there.

We’ve all been hearing about double digit economic growth China has been experiencing each year. China boasts new millionaires in the hundreds of thousands over the last five years, and has surpassed Japan as the world’s second largest economy. Looking at these facts, it would be easy to assume that China has found an economic system that works quite well; but things are not always as they seem.

If we look at how the country has acquired such immense wealth, and the costs of such growth to its citizens, the picture we begin to see is anything but pretty.

China’s Most Valuable Resource

In any business, profits are increased by maximizing resources. The resource that China has; a billion laborers who have no choice but to work for very low wages and suffer inhumane treatment and social discrimination. While the countries leaders make claims of improved conditions and higher wages, new reports of the blatant mistreatment and exploitation of lower class workers are surfacing all the time.

This may sound like harsh terminology to some, but the Chinese elite have basically turned the rural peasant workers in their country into slaves. Labor unions are outlawed, so companies are basically free to decide what fair wages and treatment are, and workers can do nothing to lobby for better treatment or higher wages. The ongoing class discrimination continues to be an insurmountable hurdle to progress.

Social Stratification in China

There is a very clear demarcation between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have not’s in China. To put in the simplest of terms, the rich have everything and the poor have nothing. The country continues to manufacture products for major corporations like Apple, Dell, HP, Motorola, Nintendo, Sony and Nokia, who benefit significantly from the ultra-cheap labor Chinese manufacturing companies offer.

While consumers in the UK site the egregious human rights violations and exploitation of workers going on in China as a reason not to purchase products made in the country, The U.S doesn’t seem to have the same issue. While American consumers frown upon the condition of affairs in China, they leave their pocketbooks out of the protest.

American corporations know this all too well, and are quick to send their manufacturing business east and reap the significant increase in profits China’s slave labor allows for.

Currency Manipulation in China

There are widespread allegations that China takes measures to undervalue the Yuan, artificially making its exports to the U.S. cheaper and U.S. exports to China more expensive. Legislation has been proposed to raise tariffs on Chinese goods as a countermeasure, but with little effect thus far.

Empty Promises

With Apple getting heat about the working conditions at Foxconn, it may appear that things are finally changing. Salaries were raised by 25% and it seems an end has been put to 60 hour work weeks, with the 49 hour limit being enforced. But will these changes last?

A quote from SumOfUS.org, a coalition of consumer groups and trade unions, claims otherwise.

“The report will include new promises by Apple that stand to be just as empty as the ones made over the past 5 years.”