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Poor standards and purposeful adulteration to boost profits are common in the manufacturing of Chinese products. Americans know the dangers posed by these imports because warnings have come our way via deadly cribs, lead paint on toys, melamine in dog food, counterfeit heparin, exploding cell phones, and drywall that sickens humans and corrodes metal in homes. Yet China continues to thrive as a result of enjoying the manufacturing base America once had. Unsafe products are not the only threat to America and Americans. American businesses, journalists, and politicians are complicit in the predatory wrongs committed by China, according to the authors. They stress that all Americans must awaken to the Chinese threat. Evergreen Solar tried to get President Obama's secretaries of Commerce and Energy to fight illegal Chinese subsidies, warning that the Massachusetts business could not survive without trade reforms. Pleas by the Evergreen CEO fell on deaf ears; Evergreen Solar was offered a low interest loan from China on 65% of the cost to build a new factory in China, and the Massachusetts plant is now closed. As with all business in China, Evergreen Solar cannot own more than 49% of its Chinese company, and all trade secrets, including full technology transfer, must be given to the Chinese. Additionally, all research and development must be shared. Although these are all clear violations of World Trade Organization rules, China blusters ahead and nothing is done to curb unlawful demands. In addition to the economic threat to America are the massive Chinese military build up; interference by Chinese computer hackers; outright spying on the American government and businesses; and China's colonialist policies that are securing raw materials worldwide. The authors outline an urgent action plan to prevent America's "death by China." Individuals can take action by refusing to purchase any product made in China, notifying stores that we will not buy Chinese products, and alerting politicians that we want immediate trade reform. (Prentice Hall, 2011, 303 pp., $25.99) |
According to Navarro and Autry, our very freedom is at risk because we fail to make "individual choices, executive decisions, and governmental policies" that will stop Chinese destruction of the American way of life. Free trade with China is anything but fair. China continues to destroy the U.S. economy and its manufacturing base through economic misdeeds: currency manipulation, predatory pricing, product dumping, internal export subsidies, and foreign trade restrictions.
