[Reader-list] War, China & WTO

[Joy Chatterjee]

I received this mail regarding the China's share of so-called imperialism ( 
if there is anything called imperialism any way).  I think rather than pin 
pointing US for so called imperialism and other biased allegations we 
should look at our own sleeves honestly whether they are free of blood 
stains or not. Why don't we take account from Nepalese for their version of 
Indian imperialism? Is there anyone to speak about it?

So I refuse to go to any rally (most of the rallies happening in Delhi) 
which talks only about "US WAR" rather than any war per say. I find that 
rally to be motivated by political ambition instead of true concern for 
mankind. Actually no rally or condolence meet happened in Delhi after 11th 
of September !! No humanist is standing up and protesting against killing 
of Christians in Pakistan. No rally happened against killing of minorities 
in Bangladesh after election. And also against the riot happening in 
Maharashtra. As some one says "War is also terrorism" similarly terrorism 
is also war. And I think both are nothing but VIOLENCE which needs to be 
addressed at equal level with out any political discrimination.

Joy
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Alochoks:


The recent issue of Business Week has a fascinating story on China and the 
effects of its not too distant entry into the World Trade
Organization. After I read the article I realised that China's entry into 
the WTO has serious implications for Bangladesh and most of South
East Asia, from an economic stand point. I provide to you some insightful 
quotes from the article:


"Li [a Hong Kong Trading company's managing director]already has a plan for 
China's imminent entry into the World Trade Organization, the
global body that enforces free-trade rules. One of the trade barrriers that 
Li expects to fall is US and European import quotas on clothes
made in China for children up to 2 years old. Most of the apparel LI & Fung 
trades in that category is now produced in Egypt, Thailand, Sri
Lanka, Honduras, and Guatemala. Fung plans to shut operations in all those 
countries and move baby-clothes production to southern China....
Shipment time from China to California is 14 days, vs. 30 days from Sri Lanka."


"Its [China's] advantages are formidable: abundant cheap labor, millions of 
talented engineers, good infrastructure."


"In Taiwan and Malaysia, two of the high-tech export hot spots of the 
1990s, new investment in semiconductor, disk drive, and computer plants
is drying up as companies such as Intel, Motorola, and Dell Computer move 
production to China. Matshushita, Sony, and Samsung are preparing
a wholesale transfer of production facilities to the mainland."


"Even in India, which has some of the planet's lowest wages, low-tech 
industries cant compete with the Chinese in productivity. Shops in
Bombay and Calcutta are flooded with Chinese goods. The Indian government 
is so worried about China that it has refused to allow
Chinese software companies to locate in the high-tech center of Bangalore 
and scotched plans by software powerhouse Infosys
Technologies to train 200 Chinese employees in India."


As you can see, China is not only goign to attract investments in the 
garments industry, but they are also going to attract investment in the
high tech fields. China will likely enter the WTO by early 2002. It will be 
interesting to see how they cope with the challenges and
oppurtunities of entering the WTO.


I think the most effective way to deal with such an economic powerhouse is 
to form and strengthen trade pacts, such as ASEAN, and SARC. India, 
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka; all have much to lose to the growing competition 
from China. I can see how we will need to co-operate with our neighbors 
more than compete in order to even keep our existing industries.


- Rumon
Little Rock, AR