2 ms·

Wet markets existed when it was a communist economy Then as now, the only thing that is forbidden is criticism of The Party. Want to exploit your workers and i

• valuearb 7y ago
  That there are some factual basis to your assertions, but in aggregate you are missing the boat. Chinese labor is cheap because it has been a poor country, lacking capital to raise its productivity and labor standards to western levels. Comparative advantage means both sides benefit when Chinese labor makes goods for the west. They get better paying work, and we get to make our goods cheaper. Working for Foxconn is a huge improvement in living standards over the rural jobs most of the Chinese workforce comes from. Environmental protections cost money. It’s far easier for wealthier first world countries to bear those costs without significantly reducing their living standards. Poor countries, whether it be China, first half 1900s USA, or as we saw previously with the USSR, are more likely to prioritize economic output over environmental protections. Economic growth is why environmental standards improve over time. It costs proportionately less to increase them, and new technologies also lower costs of enacting tougher restrictions. As China continues to grow wealthier, it will likely continue to increase its environmental protections. Especially if it ever turns into a real democracy.