Prof downplays China's ambition

China's economic expansion hasn't helped older female workers.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
YOUNGSTOWN -- A university professor from China dismissed fears of U.S. residents that China will dominate Western countries with its economic expansion.
Tong Xin, director of the Center for Chinese Workers at Peking University, said Chinese people and officials aren't talking about building up its economy to surpass the U.S.
She spoke with reporters Thursday before giving a lecture at Youngstown State University.
Officials in India have been much more outspoken, said John Russo, co-director of the Center for Working-Class Studies at YSU.
Russo, who arranged for Xin's visit, said that he recently visited India and officials there said the 20th century was dominated by the U.S., but the 21st century will belong to India and Asia.
"The Chinese are too polite to say that," he said.
Russo said he thinks the Chinese are being ambitious in their plans for building a manufacturing powerhouse. For example, Chinese officials have said they want to produce world-class cars in five to 10 years without continuing help from foreign companies.
A different opinion
Xin said, however, that she doesn't think that will happen because the Chinese companies will not be able to master advanced technology that quickly.
The Chinese government is demanding access to technology designs when foreign companies form joint ventures with Chinese companies, but duplicating this technology is a daunting task, she said.
Most of the work still being done in Chinese factories is repetitive assembly line work for clothes, toys and such items, she said.
Xin was at YSU to lecture on the transformation of the female labor market in China.
She said about 90 percent of the assembly lines at manufacturing companies are staffed by women. Many of them are coming from rural areas, she said.
Keeping wages down
This influx of workers from rural areas has allowed companies to keep wages for women down, she said. Sometimes wages are below the legal minimum, she said.
Also, women at about age 45 are being forced to retire early or seek self-employment. They are being replaced with younger women.
In the past, workers could count on a longer span of employment with state-owned companies. Today, however, the Chinese government is forcing state companies that are small- and medium-sized to merge or shut down as it focuses only on larger companies.
The change has led to a larger number of women working as day laborers for companies that need help or as street merchants, she said.
Women coming to the city from rural areas have poor living conditions, but they are sacrificing their comfort for the good of their families back home, she said. They send as much money as they can back to parents and children so they can lead a better life, she said.
shilling@vindy.com