Bloggasm

Richard: I was a journalist who got sucked into public relations back in 1989 and never escaped. PR is what I do today here in Taipei. I’ve also done it in China, Hong Kong, Sinagpore and Siicon Valley. It pays the bills and offers enough moments of creativity to keep me sane. I used to be a somewhat strident defender of China and its leaders, but living there got me to see the light. I began to document the sins of the Party in my blog in 2002, and all of a sudden I found myself with a bunch of sympathetic readers.

Simon Owens: Do you think that continued public out-cries has caused work conditions in China to improve at all? Or are they just as bad as ever?

Richard: China responds to international embarrassment, so the outcries have certainly helped. Tragically, it always takes a huge event, usually with lives lost and
immeasurable misery, for the CCP to react. And even though they react – fixing the problem at hand – they never seem to learn from the experience, and the vicious circle of corruption leading to worker exploitation leading to death and despair continues.

Simon Owens: Do you think the improved economy will do anything towards improving other realms of China, including its worker-safety laws?

Richard: Yes, definitely, and it already is improving. But everything is relative, and to say China has a long way to go doesn’t say nearly enough. The laws are certainly there on the books. But enforcement is the key word. With no rule of law to speak of, there is no justice and little improvement. China is taking baby steps, improving worker safety but always slowed down by corrupt local officials who feel threatened by such laws, and who receive juicy bribes to subvert them. As long as the political system is corrupt and the central party needs to maintain the loyalty of the local officials, don’t expect to see more than incremental progress. (Multinationals in China are doing a far better job when it comes to worker safety, and maybe over time the spirit of CSR will seep into the consciences of the Chinese companies as well.)

Simon Owens: Do you think Walmart is wrong for relying so heavily on China for its goods?

Richard: Their whole business model depends on it; it’s what they are all about. If they didn’t rely on China, they wouldn’t be Wal-Mart. What’s wrong with Wal-Mart and every company that sells goods made in Chinese sweatshops is the toleration of inhumane conditions and unimaginable exploitations. Now, I know this sounds awfully dreamy, but I believe companies should insist that the products they buy for resale not be manufactured at the cost of the lives and health of the workers. Retailers selling Chinese jewelry should know about Chinese miners dying from inhalation of gold dust due to zero safety standards. And they should buy such jewelry elsewhere. Wal-Mart should take the same approach. Chinese factories can still produce cheap goods to keep Wal-Mart thriving, without killing their workers along the way. And Wal-Mart should insist on that. It’s not impossible.

Simon Owens: What are the five blogs everyone should be reading (besides your own)?

Richard: 1. China Digital Times
2. Talk Talk China (strictly for us expats)
3. East South West North
4. Andrew Sullivan
5. Eschaton

You can find The Peking Duck over here