Right, that's it, I am going to blog about China!
- 3 Apr 08, 03:28 PM
Last weekend the Chinese state mysteriously lifted its block on the 大象传媒's English language website. I don't know how long it will last for, or why they did it. What we do know is a lot of Chinese readers were critical about the 大象传媒's coverage of China they found there, which they believed had "departed from the truth". Having done my fair share of that coverage, including getting myself for interviewing a man purged from the party 50 years ago, I decided to take a look at the 大象传媒 website.
If you want to watch video reports on China, just click for a list, sorted by date. If you ignore the odd colourful story about training English chefs to cook Chinese food, it's fair to say the "metanarrative" of most of our coverage focuses on the challenges of economic growth and the repressive nature of the Chinese regime. I've often heard foreign journalists say that there is only one story in China "and that's China". Everyone who's tried to report there knows what that means.
I think now there is a real challenge: for the first time I can be sure that my reporting on China will be seen or read in China, and not just by CCP officials with access to diplomatic-compound satellite dishes. So I have decided to re-start blogging here regularly, between now and the Olympics, to try and engage any English-speaking Chinese readers on a wider range of stories. I'm offering them a genuine chance to do what readers here do: influence and comment on our coverage. So here goes: Numero Uno - What about the workers....
...My report last week on the troubles of Chinese migrant workers is still being aired on the 大象传媒's global networks, and is shown tonight, in cutdown form, on , 7pm east coast time. There will be a discussion after that with the international director of America's main union federation, the AFL-CIO. Now while in the west, union politics is a bit of a turn off, I am calculatiing that some of the All China Federation of Trade Unions' 170 million members might be interested in this.
Because what's at issue is China's status in a major international institution: the International Labour Organisation. The western trade unions traditionally opposed the ACFTU being on the "workers group" of the ILO. But in July this year it looks like this might change. One of the reasons is the reforms being pursued by the leaders of the Chinese state-run union: recruiting more migrants, organising from below to win recognition at Wal Mart etc. Meanwhile however there is still repression of strike leaders. I am not sure whether the following link will work in China but it shows that, since my report was made, . There's more here about the strike.
I would like to start a debate, even a dialogue, between those interested in the subject in China and the rest of the world here. What do you think? Should we in the west be prepared to accept higher prices for our iPods, toys and paper packaging so that Chinese migrant workers can obtain decent living standards? And should the Chinese government continue its policy of increased labour rights for workers, given the vocal opposition to this by sections of the National People's Congress who speak on behalf of factory owners? If, as I reported, the Contract Labour Law of 1 January 2008 results in a widespread exodus of low value-add factories out of the Chinese Export Zones, what kind of industry and jobs should replace them.
Hit the comment button...and watch out for my China blogs in future.
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Even though people in Uk are made fully aware of the conditions in which the migrant workers live and work, it does not stop the vast majority from wanting and buying the goods made in the factories. I teach 6th formers and they all go "Oh and Ah" in the right places but then admit to going and buying Nike trainers with Made in China on the bottom. It is going to need more than a few short films on newsnight to change modern day culture of mass consumerism. We have become too selfish and if the talk about climate change and the problems it is bringing are still not swaying public opinion to adapt lifestyles, the lives of migrant workers in countries thousands of miles away will not affect us in the west.
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Glad to find this article. I've been browsing 大象传媒 website for along time. Just as you have said, it's impossible to get the access to it until recently. I can learn a lot from the opening. That's interesting. But concerning about politics, I'd rather look that in an outsider's view. I belive most the Chinese will act like me. But the report still attrats me a lot.
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this is Sunday April 6th and I just saw a newsnight show on the workers of China. The reporter was awesome to me and maybe very brave to go to places we usually do not see on the regular news shows.
China to me looks like the U.S. at the turn of the 1900 century where there were children working in sweat shops and no rights for workers.
It seems they are going through a transformation like our country did and I applaud those brave souls out there fighting for those workers.
I can't wait for the day when true capitalism takes place and they can compete for jobs and work their way up like we do.
The one young man who got burned in a factory and later stabbed for speaking out said something so true about the new educated ranks of workers there and how they should not depend on the government but make their own way and speak out.
All the freebies and government handouts do not inspire people to work and acheive.
God bless them all and if the costs of our goods go up due to them getting more money and work perks like vacation days than so be it.
Their country is evolving and I just hope democracy and capitalism wins out and hopefully the persecution other countries like Tibet will be put aside.
Thank you 大象传媒 for having the reporters and moxy to go places and show us what is really going on around the world so we are not living under a rock like our left media wants us to do.
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Another reason that China is "the story" right now? Tibet and the lack of response. Yes, it sounds great if all of the major countries would ban together and boycott the Beijing Games to protest China's crackdown in Tibet.
Now reality. China is America's biggest creditor (is the same true for the U.K. as well)? we're fighting an ilegal, immoral war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The highest national debt in history, no universal health care, etc. With all that, do you really want to piss off your bank?
Also, China won't call in the U.S. debt for a long time. They're expanding their portfolio by investing in key U.S. companies, infrastructure and more. This is to help boost the sagging dollar. They'd be crazy to call this debt in right now (especially in an election year).
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