The True Cost of Products ‘Made in China’

Reading time: 2 mins, 12 seconds

Shanghai Bund, 2019

I recently finished reading the book ‘Made in China’ by Amelia Pang, a nonfiction read depicting the modern day horrors of Chinese forced labor and reeducation camps. My heart is in a knotted bundle of yarn as I grapple with the love I have for the people and place which held me for two years, while behind closed doors was simultaneously harming the innocent and undeserving.

I was not naive enough to have been thinking that China was a complete utopia while spending two years on its soil. The people I interacted with on a daily basis, from the wealthy to the poor, were, from my outside perspective, generally happy. Seemingly content with their lives and their country. However, I’ve spent a lifetime with uncensored media and history books unfolding the harsh truths of communism and unjust positions of China’s government policies. And yet, this didn’t make my Eastern home unlovable.

So here I am trying to hold two things at once.

Just as I had done while deciding to move there.

Just as I had done while explaining to the many people who judged my decision to relocate to China asking, ‘Why would you want to move to that country? Don’t you know it’s communist?’

Today I am back in the balancing act of juggling China’s unfairness and oppression, carried on often times in secret, alongside its beauty, innocence, generosity, curiosity, and love.

That’s what empathy is about, right?

Being able to hold the good and the bad. Refraining from judgement and outrage knowing that the best form of change comes from education, understanding, and connection. 

I will continue to love China, the people who turned from strangers to family, and the memories that compiled from the two years spent in that time zone while committing to making smarter consumer choices, holding companies accountable whenever possible, and exercising the power I have as a consumer.

I would encourage any friend, stranger, or family member of mine to do the same.

Does an item you are thinking of purchasing say ‘Made in China?’

Although that isn’t always a direct indicator that the item was produced unethically, a collaborative hint might be the extremely cheap price tag or major corporate brand with a known reputation for unethical sourcing of goods.

We are consumers to a fault, but we have power to choose against buying fast, cheap products that are too often produced out of force, torture, and unfit working conditions.

Changing habits require diligence and consistent internal dialogue, but if it’s at the cost of another human’s wellbeing, I think the effort is worth it.

And if you aren’t convinced, I highly recommend giving ‘Made in China’ a read! http://www.ameliapang.com/