Source"Made in China" tag, Made in China or Product of China. It's a catchphrase often utilized by Chinese-American consumers referring to a product made in China. More often than not, it refers to an item that has been manufactured outside of China but has been "re-labeled" as if it was made in China. A "Made in China" label, a product of China or sometimes Made in PRC can refer to many things. Products can be labeled as Made in Japan (PRC), Made in Korea, Made in USA (USD) or any other country's products made elsewhere but from its own soil. The same labels, however, have a specific connotation for Chinese Americans.
Recently, there was an article in a popular humor magazine in the U.S.A. where the author gushed about how great and wonderful Chinese Americans are. She described Chinese Americans as hard-working people with great values who love their homeland. The magazine then went on to advise its readers that "anyone" who wants to learn about Made in China should purchase this magazine and read the piece.
Well, this wasn't any fun. The fact that this article in a popular U.S. publication advocated exposing Made in China and various other countries for the sake of "saving the environment" should raise a few red flags. If anything, it raises questions about whether Made in China and various places is being made in sweatshops where lives are made even more miserable. After all, it was the article's caption that made the whole issue: "Spare the animals, save the environment". But, is this really the best way to "spare the animals"?
The reality of the situation is that Made in China and various other countries are made in sweatshops where life is made even more difficult. To name just a few, it is estimated that over a million girls work in forced labor and many of them are forced to become child soldiers. This is not only in China; this is also rampant in Vietnam, the Philippines and sweatshops throughout South America. Additionally, the workers in these areas face physical and mental abuse. Therefore, if anything, this particular slogan should at the very least encourage Made in China and various other countries to display some concern for the working conditions in which they labor.
Unfortunately, Made in China and various other countries do not have the same status as sweatshops in terms of respectability in the eyes of the international community. If anything, Made in China should be praised for taking steps to improve worker conditions in China and in the rest of the world. However, while the U.S. and the European Union are notably outspoken opponents of sweatshops and poor working conditions throughout the world, the Chinese government is perfectly happy to continue to work very hard to ensure that Made in China is neither lambasted nor criticized. Instead, China works constantly to ensure that it works hard to improve its reputation.
This means that whenever something wrong happens at one of its factories, it doesn't matter what country the workers are from. As long as the wrongdoing emanates from somewhere else, China will take the appropriate action. And this isn't always true. For example, while there have been multiple investigations into whether or not Made in China products cause cancer, no concrete evidence has yet emerged to suggest this claim.
In addition, Made in China garments can often be purchased for much less than their actual cost in developed countries. This is because of the lower cost of labor and the lower exchange rate between the currencies of China and the countries where Made in China goods are manufactured. There are also other benefits to buying Made in China clothes. For example, a garment can be manufactured in China for half the price that it would cost in the U.S., meaning that a lot of money can be saved for the manufacturer.
This is certainly good news for consumers, but this doesn't mean that all things created by the Chinese are bad. On the contrary, Made in China clothes and items can help protect the U.S. economy. For example, Made in China furniture can help our country's infrastructure improve. And Made in China electronics can also benefit our nation's infrastructure.
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