Child Labor in China 2


      Slavery has always been a huge problem since the ancient time all around the world. People have been kidnapped or traded to other places to become slaves. At first, the action of slavery was formed for the poor to make money. However, countries nowadays are mostly developed and wealthy, but slavery is still happening around the world.  

       The International Labor Organization has estimated that there are 250 million children between the ages of five and fourteen working in developing countries, 61 percent of them are in Asia(1). Although now we are living in such modern century, there are still child slave labors in China. Some are kidnapped or tricked(4), some are even sold or allowed by their parents(4&2). Many of these child labors work in sweatshops, factories, companies, farms and many other harsh working conditions(1). The most controversial forms of work include the military use of children and also child prostitution(6). They are paid very less than other workers, some of them arenot even paid but given places to live and good to eat. In addition, once they serve as slaves, they serve for the rest of their lives. Their next generations would have to be slaves as well, and would be trapped in the cycle forever.

        There are evidences show that child labor is increasing, specifically in areas around Hong Kong(1). They made this conclusion by seeing the dropout rate from school, which is very high. Many parents allow their kids to drop school because they feel school does not really provide skills that have immediate or realistic advantages to the children. Therefore poor families rather let their children go to work than try to afford the expenses of school(2), and the earnings of children represent a substantial portion of much-needed income to those families(3). Those kids usually work Dongguan, a manufacturing city known for producing and exporting textiles, toys, and electronics(4), and some work in sweatshops and game factories(1). In some particular areas and economic zones in mainland China like Fujian, Zhejiang, and Guangdong, the approximate number of child labors under the age of 16 is four to five million, labors under 12 are also found in other areas like Whenzhou and Hainan, which became a extremely serious problem.  

        There are some special cases of child labor here. Researches show that 44 of 206 foreign-owned companies in Shenzhen employ children at the age between 10 to 16(1), even Apple had admit using child labors under 15-years-old(5). They are working up to 14 hours per day with two one-hour break, and are paid very less. In addition, child labors are particularly vulnerable to job related hazards resulting in injury and death because they are less aware of workplace than older workers(3), so accidents happen a lot. In March 2001, 42 people were killed in an explosion at a Chinese school(1). The explosion was caused because the teachers made the students to make fireworks in order to keep the price lower than other fireworks companies. The fifth-graders were required to make 10000 fireworks per day, which were ten times more than other workers(1). Another tragic case was that five adolescent girls have been poisoned by carbon monoxide smoke from a coal brazier lit in the confines of their cramped factory sleeping quarters(3). Furthermore, child labors are more willing to be beaten or whipped than adults labors(6).










Emancipation Proclamation

Slavery has always been happening around and being a huge problem. However, people did not really face it and solve it, therefore it is still going on in this modern century. Those child labors are mostly forced to work and become slaves. Although they work so hard for such long hours, they are paid very less. Their workplaces are harsh and risky, death and injury come along as time goes on. In addition, those kids are treated badly, they would be whipped and beaten if they do not work properly. To those who employ them, it might be normal to treat them this way. To me, I think they do not even treat them as humans but working robots. Those children should be free and allowed to have normal lives instead of working for their parents or being forced to work. In fact, these experiences could influence their later life and their personalities. Some might even have psychological problem later on. The government should make laws against these kinds of activities and help those kids to be educated and protected, also provide the chances for them to be adopted and start their new lives in normal and caring families. People should start realize the situation those kids are in and think of the feelings they would have if they were in this kind of mess. If you want to make your country stronger in the future, you must save those children first because they are the only hope of the next generation.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Christine Liao