Labor & Employment Law

Bad Omens on the Eve of U.S.-China Chat

By Tula Connell

Several disturbing items out now as Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner gets set to meet next week with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

At a time when our nation has a massive jobs deficit and an urgent need to catch up with other nations that are moving ahead of the United States in green industries, the Alliance for American Manufacturing notes today that Evergreen Solar, a maker of solar panels in Devens, Mass., is closing a factory that employs 800 people. The company says it can’t compete with cheap Chinese solar panels.

Evergreen Solar is just the tip of the iceberg, as demonstrated by the Alliance’s next news note:

In 2011, the U.S. is poised to lose its 110-year run as the world?s leader in factory production to China. China?s economy surged ahead of Japan in 2010 to become the world?s second largest. While the U.S. remains the largest by gross domestic product, analysts predict that the U.S. risks losing that position by 2025?if not sooner. China has moved into the #2 position in the publication of biomedical research articles.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch released a report yesterday that finds:

The continued use of torture, illegal detention, censorship and other offenses means China has failed to deliver on its first human rights action plan….

The Washington Post reports today that Geithner said:

China’s explosive economy creates enormous opportunities for the United States but is also a “growing source” of concern….

So are a few other things, like China’s manipulated currency and, oh, yeah, U.S. tax policies that reward U.S. companies for closing shop here and moving plants overseas.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on January 12, 2011 (boomark / email).