Quote:
Originally Posted by Skybird
However, the times when "made in China" was a synonyme for "poor quality", are coming to an end especially in the high tech branch. They produce many technological gadgets on comparable and sometimes already better quality level, than Wetsern economies - and only at a fraction of Western costs. I read that Apple's iPhone for example would cost 30 times more to produce it in the US, than it does cost to produce in China.
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Yes, they may be of better quality now, they may be cheaper, but at a cost to the labourers and the evironment!
Chinese labour rates are about 2-4% of the US rates and about 15% of other 'sweatshops' of East Asia. (Data taken ~2006) Although alot of the textile manufacturing has been moved to places like Bangladesh, and alot of the more simple electronics manufacturing to other East Asian countries meaning that China can concentrate on the more lucrative end of the electronics market. Even if there was a tremendous increase in pay they would still be well under rates from just about all over the world.
And for the increase in this high-end electrickery, more premises, more power, more fuel, more ecological disasters just waiting around the corner.
But we as an end user have very little say, and put our money in the cheapest possible pocket most of the time making it one vicious circle.