China is a country where human life is considered so cheap that women face forced sterilization and full term abortions. When healthy prisoners are executed, they are often butchered by the government for the high profit sale of organs for transplants. The Chinese Government denies individual rights of the spirit, any form of democracy and the right to organize workers. Any attempt at freedom can land individuals or huge groups in prison. In China, physical and drug injected tortures are official policies and expected methods of what the Government terms "re-education". Even rape and electric prods used for sodomy are accepted methods of "re-education" in a Chinese jail or prison.
Given this government sponsored philosophy toward human life it is no surprise that China also disrespects the environment. Severe working conditions and accepted production methods ignore environmental safety. The Wall Street Journal reported that due to the social structure of China, created by Mao, the common sparrow was ordered hunted and killed to near extension. This further serves to highlight that the Government of China does not reserve its brutal nature for its citizens alone. Production of genetically altered food and chemical pesticides are virtually unregulated in farming. Major Asian rivers that are important to other nations in the region are polluted from clear cutting policies of the Chinese as they occupy Tibet.
While it cannot be confirmed, it is widely suspected that China has used very poor methods in disposing of and storing nuclear waste. Stories of cute pandas make for good public relations for China, but they underline that due to the lack of Chinese environmental policies, these creatures are another species near extinction in China.
The trade imbalance is in China's favor at an alarming rate that is between twenty-to-one to forty-to-one. Or on the low end, 200 billion dollars for China and ten billion dollars for the US.
In short this means that when we buy any goods with the "Made in China" label, we help fund the policies and practices of this government in its offensive weapons programs, and it's environmentally devastating raw materials, harvest, and its uncontrolled use of chemicals in farming.
Buying "Made in China" supports the most inhumane government on the planet and funds their ability to create enforcement on their own population to accept horrible working and environmental conditions.
This one is a "no-brainer" and local action is simple. You help send a message to China on human rights and the environment by finding alternatives and boycotting the "Made in China" label.
For more on this topic: www.tibet.org is the official web site of the government of Tibet in exile, or phone 1-888--TIBET NOW. Suggested reading: Richard Fieldhouse, "China's Nuclear Weapons: A Current and Historical Overview" Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington DC. 1991.
Joe Mickey, Ft. Bragg
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 2000
Permission granted to excerpt or use this article if source is cited