ticism about how well the new measures
will work. Most feel that the government’s actions came far too late to make
a significant difference. As an example of
this skepticism, a spokesman for Green-peace China said, “Everything in China
now happens so quickly, and the government always fails to anticipate what’s
coming, and as a result policies are only
introduced when things are already out of
control.” Residents say that Beijing’s
roads sometimes resemble car parks. A
record 140 traffic jams were recorded on
one evening in September of 2010. A
spectacular 75-mile long traffic jam formed on the Beijing
to Tibet route last September,
only a week after another 62-
mile jam had been cleared in
the same area.
It would appear that
China, like the U.S. and other
highly developed countries,
has discovered that unbridled
growth brings with it unbridled problems, pollution
being one such problem. Although one of the many
achievements of China’s
growth has been to raise hundreds of millions of its citizens
out of poverty, that same
growth has resulted in increased health concerns and
the lowering of living standards for others. Growth in China has indeed been a double-edged sword.
people’s livelihoods and even social sta-
bility. He went on to say, “We absolutely
must not any longer sacrifice the environ-
ment for the sake of rapid growth and
reckless roll-outs. That will lead to pro-
duction capacity gluts and deepening pres-
sure on the environment and resources so
that economic development will be un-
sustainable.” The Prime Minister’s com-
ments have done little to abate the anxiety
and anger by citizens over pollution, ris-
ing prices and overall deterioration in
quality of life. Although carefully con-
trolled by the authorities there are now
apparent that since the introduction of
the revised labor law in 2008, China’s
workers are now amongst some of the
best paid in Asia.
Beijing's roads sometimes resemble car parks. A record 140 traffic jams
were recorded on one evening in September of 2010. A spectacular 75-
mile long traffic jam formed on the Beijing to Tibet route last September, only a week after another 62-mile jam had been cleared in the
same area.
low-level protests by citizens every Sunday afternoon in Beijing and Shanghai.
Other problems associated
with growth
Inflation in China is officially running at
almost five percent but food prices have
surged by 10 percent, creating a lot of
public discontent. The lowering of the
stated growth rate from 7. 5 to 7.0 percent
for China is mainly symbolic as economic
growth has exceeded the 7 percent target
every year in the last six years. In 2010
China’s growth reached 10. 3 percent,
making China the world’s fastest-expand-ing major economy. But along with the
breakneck growth have come enormous
price rises, particularly for food and housing, which China’s Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, acknowledged were affecting
China now has the third
highest labor costs in
emerging Asia
In addition to inflation in staples such as
food, clothing and housing, China has
also seen a significant increase in manpower costs. An average worker in China
costs more than the average worker in
any other emerging Asian economy, except Malaysia and Thailand, when considered in terms of combined salary and
welfare payments.
A review of minimum labor costs, determined by the legal minimum amount
stipulated in 15 different countries, and
added together with the pertinent
mandatory welfare payments due, it is
www.coatingsworld.com
May 2011
