US trade unions to visit China

James P. Hoffa

While the visit still has to start, we can already hear the fanfare around the corner. A group of seven US trade unions, working in a coalition "Change to Win" will visit Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing very soon on a fact finding mission, they write in a press release.

Change to Win unions share common employers with millions of Chinese workers throughout the service, transportation and industrial sectors. The delegation will explore the corporate practices and working conditions within large multinationals, including major U.S.-based employers who currently operate without enforceable fair trade laws: [A] poll also found nearly 80 percent of American workers believe multinational corporations are too powerful, and have driven down wages, eliminated health care and retirement security, and disregarded labor laws.

Key member of the delegation will be James P. Hoffa, president of the erstwhile powerful Teamsters. US trade unions share, let say, a colorful history with their country, but have been losing their powerbase as membership dropped under ten percent of the working population.
The US trade union movement split in two, also in their China policies. One part adopting a pro-China view, the other - now visiting unions - a fierce anti-China position. But this group now also wants to come to terms with China's position in the fast globalizing economy.
The visit will take place of the next two weeks and we will hear more about it.

Update: The delegation will hold press conferences the the Grand Hyatt in Hong (May 17) and Shanghai (May 18), and the St-Regis in Beijing (May 21). Strange: they start the visit with a press conference. I would first find some facts and then call in the media.

Hollywood threathens China with boycot

No love from Hollywood

With Silicon Hutong I could not stop laughing when I learned the movie industry in Hollywood is actually threathening China with a boycot unless something is done about the piracy.

Two days ago, MPAA Chief Dan Glickman (aka, Hollywood's hired gun in DC) told The Hollywood Reporter that if China didn't do something about ending piracy, the industry could choose to boycott China. I don't expect an official response - I think, once again, the government officials with remit over Hollywood's fortunes in China are probably too paralyzed with paroxysms of mirth to compose a response.

Silicon Hutong explains them why this threat is nonsense.

Fighting for China's clean air

Orville Schell

China-veteran Orville Schell pleads for action on the world's growing environmental problems in this essay in China Dialogue:

How should we proceed? By forming a coalition of respected scientists, business leaders and policy experts, calling a high-level emergency summit with their counterparts in China and then enlisting the US presidential candidates to pledge to make the coal/climate change issue a priority. The ultimate goal should be to undertake a US$25 billion collaborative effort, with the United States providing capital, technological know-how and entrepreneurial and managerial skills and China providing some resources of its own, research, critical leadership among developing countries, its low-cost manufacturing base and its prodigious market energy.

Should I keep on ignoring the US WTO trade complaints?

US trade representative Susan Schwab

Up to now I have been perfectly able to ignore the Washington based paper mills, who are trying to get the WTO into a trade complaint procedure. But others, like China Hearsay, do take it rather serious, at least, they spend a lot of time on it.

I have been holding a short poll in the office and 100 percent of the people I asked said this is not going to mean anything and I should continue to have a life. We all know that the power of the central government to change this country is rather limited and that - even if the WTO would be able to come up with a verdicts - it would not mean anything.

What do you think?

Update: Got at least one honest reaction from a lawyer who says that the legal play is only very interesting for nerdy lawyers like himself. I can go out and have a life.