Movement in Taiwan | Super Rich | Hong Kong dockers strike | WalMart
Au Loong yu: The Significance of Taiwan’s Anti-Service Trade Agreement Movement (China Labour Net)
On Thursday, Taiwan’s anti service trade agreement movement will leave the Legislative Yuan and the occupation will come to an end. Some of its participants think that the movement has not achieved its aims and do not want to leave. As outsiders it is difficult for us to judge. However, although the objectives of the movement were already set very low[1], which has had the advantage of being able to unite the masses through a common denominator, as long as the government/Wang Jin-pyng was prepared to make minor concessionary gestures it would not be difficult for them to end the occupation. Nevertheless, the movement still has a historical significance. Although it did not set its aims very high, it made use of strong civil disobedience to occupy the Legislative Yuan for 22 days, which is something that the world rarely sees.
It has come to our concern that Walmart China is undergoing a large-scale closure programme. Alone in March 2014, at least six Walmart stores have been closed down. According to Financial Times, Walmart China has planned to close about 20 stores by the end of this year. Without any prior consultation with workers, Walmart China suddenly announced on 5 March that Hunan Changde store no. 2024 would be closed on 18 March. Over 100 workers of the store were only given one day to consider internal job transfer. If not, they have to decide whether to accept the company’s compensation offer by 19 March.
Rebecca Chao: Why Do Chinese Billionaires Keep Ending Up in Prison? (Atlantic)
In most places, being ranked by a prominent magazine among the wealthiest people in the country constitutes a great honor. Not in China. Such lists, known as bai fu bang in China and published in Forbes and its Chinese equivalent Hurun, are described instead as the sha zhu bang: “kill pigs list.”
In the last fifteen years, China has produced greater overall wealth than any other country. The number of its billionaires has gone from a mere 15 to around 250 in just six years, but for a number of these people this vaulted status is short-lived. According to one study, 17 percent of those on the list end up squealing their way to court or end up in jail. If they’re lucky, those who are caught are investigated and jailed. Some are even executed. …
Deng Xiaoping, the Chinese leader responsible for instituting economic reforms, famously advocated “letting a few people get rich first”. More than three decades later, life for these rich has grown increasingly precarious. For China’s numerous poor, alas, the second part of Deng’s bargain has not yet arrived.
Stephan Chan, Wong Yu Loy: Hong Kong Dockers Strike & Struggles (YouTube)
Hong Kong dockers are on the move after a 40 day strike in 2013. This is a presentation by Hong Kong trade unionists Stephan Chan and Wong Yu Loy on how their union was formed and the lessons of their strike against Li Ka-shing’ s Hutchison Port Holdings Trust. He is the richest man in Hong Kong and ownsover 50 docks in China and around the world. This presentation was made in San Francisco on April 8, 2014.
Heiko Khoo: China and the crisis of crisis theory (China.org.cn)
The recent BBC documentary called “How China Fooled the World” presented by Robert Preston claims that China’s economy is about to collapse. The program starts well: correctly showing that China’s state-owned enterprises dominate the economy and shape its development. However, it fails to adequately consider the advantages of this system of public ownership.