Made in China (2016 - )
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Made in China is an open access quarterly (ISSN 2206-9119) on Chinese labour, civil society, and rights. In the last few years, the Chinese labour movement has witnessed significant developments, not only with the occurrence of some of the largest strikes in decades but also the emergence of grave challenges for workers and activists. We believe that this calls for more serious analysis from both scholars and practitioners, as well for a critical engagement with a broader international audience interested in forging international solidarity. It is with these aims in mind that we started this new venture.
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Item Embargo On a Chinese screen: media, power, and voice in China(Canberra, ACT : Australian Centre on China in the World, The Australian National University, 2018) Australian National University. Australian Centre on China in the WorldThe previous decade saw widespread discussions about the role of the Internet in reshaping power relations in Chinese society. New media—it was widely believed—would give voice to the poor and downtrodden, allow citizens to better supervise government activity, and foster lively cultural exchanges. Workers would also benefit from this, as the Internet provided them with the tools needed to bring their grievances into the spotlight and enhance their ability to connect with their peers to establish new forms of solidarity. A decade later, what is left of that cyber-utopian discourse? This issue of Made in China offers a series of essays that attempt to answer this question against the backdrop of the latest developments in Chinese politics and society.Item Embargo To the soil: The labour of rural transformation in China(Canberra, ACT : Australian Centre on China in the World, The Australian National University, 2018) Australian National University. Australian Centre on China in the WorldChina’s four decades of reform and opening have been rooted in a fundamental socioeconomic restructuring. Contemporary China has changed from a largely agrarian society to a rapidly urbanising one, characterised by a floating populace moving back and forth between rural and urban spaces, which are in a continuous state of flux. Going hand in hand with China’s ascent into modernity is the subordination of rural areas and people. While rural China has historically been a site of extraction and exploitation, in the post-reform period this has intensified, and rurality itself has become a problem, best typified through the ubiquitous propaganda about the need to revitalise the countryside, and ongoing attempts to reconstruct rural areas in a new image. This issue of Made in China focuses on the labour that these attempts to restructure and reformulate rural China have entailed, and the ways in which they have transformed rural lives and communities.Item Embargo Anybody out there ? : The Chinese Labour Movement under Xi(Canberra, ACT : Australian Centre on China in the World, The Australian National University, 2018) Australian National University. Australian Centre on China in the WorldLabour activism has undergone significant transformation in China over the last decade. Between the mid-2000s and mid-2010s, an increase in labour protests seemed to herald a growing and more self-confident labour movement. A series of high-profile collective actions that took place in the early 2010s brought forward a time of renewed optimism, during which the public debate on Chinese labour came to be dominated by the idea of China’s workers ‘awakening’ and taking their fate into their own hands. Far from the optimism of those years, today the effects of economic slowdown and the tightening of civil society have thrown China’s workers into a state of uncertainty and disorientation, and the Chinese labour movement has once again found itself at an impasse. This issue of Made in China takes a look at the current conjuncture.Item Embargo States of Emergency: The Sichuan Earthquake Ten Years On(Canberra, ACT : Australian Centre on China in the World, The Australian National University, 2018) Australian National University. Australian Centre on China in the WorldOn 12 May 2008, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit Wenchuan county, Sichuan province. Felt as far as Beijing, the tremors caused horrific damage: 69,229 people died and 17,923 went missing. Yet, the aftermath of the seism was also a time of hope with Chinese citizens from all over the country outdoing each other to show solidarity with the victims. As local governments began to recognise the importance of NGOs in providing disaster relief and social services, 2008 was widely seen as a 'Year Zero' for Chinese civil society. At that time, hardly anybody could have foreseen the wave of repression against civil society that was to come and that is today the norm. This issue looks back at the legacy of this disaster, and the ways in which state and civil society actors renegotiate their positions during 'states of emergency'.Item Embargo A new beginning(Canberra, ACT : Australian Centre on China in the World, The Australian National University, 2016) Australian National University. Australian Centre on China in the WorldWith this first issue, we are pleased to announce the launch of Made in China, a quarterly on Chinese labour, civil society, and rights. This project stems from our previous experiences as editors of a newsletter on Chinese labour funded by the Italian Trade Union Institute for Development Cooperation (Ivan Franceschini) and co-editor of the website China Labour News Translations (Kevin Lin). In the last few years, the Chinese labour movement has witnessed significant developments, not only with the occurrence of some of the largest strikes in decades but also the emergence of grave challenges for workers and activists. As researchers of Chinese labour, we believe that this calls for more serious analysis from both scholars and practitioners, as well for a critical engagement with a broader international audience interested in forging international solidarity. It is with these aims in mind—and thanks to the support of the Australian Centre on China in the World, ANU, and the European Union Horizon 2020 Programme— that we are now starting this new venture. In this first issue, you will find summaries of recent events that have taken place in China, as well as a series of columns on specific topics, such as the recent wave of protests in the Chinese state sector and the expected impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership on labour rights. We devote the core of the first issue to the plight of Chinese labour NGOs, contextualising it through a debate between three promi-With this first issue, we are pleased to announce the launch of Made in China, a quarterly on Chinese labour, civil society, and rights. This project stems from our previous experiences as editors of a newsletter on Chinese labour funded by the Italian Trade Union Institute for Development Cooperation (Ivan Franceschini) and co-editor of the website China Labour News Translations (Kevin Lin). In the last few years, the Chinese labour movement has witnessed significant developments, not only with the occurrence of some of the largest strikes in decades but also the emergence of grave challenges for workers and activists. As researchers of Chinese labour, we believe that this calls for more serious analysis from both scholars and practitioners, as well for a critical engagement with a broader international audience interested in forging international solidarity. It is with these aims in mind—and thanks to the support of the Australian Centre on China in the World, ANU, and the European Union Horizon 2020 Programme— that we are now starting this new venture. In this first issue, you will find summaries of recent events that have taken place in China, as well as a series of columns on specific topics, such as the recent wave of protests in the Chinese state sector and the expected impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership on labour rights. We devote the core of the first issue to the plight of Chinese labour NGOs, contextualising it through a debate between three promi-With this first issue, we are pleased to announce the launch of Made in China, a quarterly on Chinese labour, civil society, and rights. This project stems from our previous experiences as editors of a newsletter on Chinese labour funded by the Italian Trade Union Institute for Development Cooperation (Ivan Franceschini) and co-editor of the website China Labour News Translations (Kevin Lin). In the last few years, the Chinese labour movement has witnessed significant developments, not only with the occurrence of some of the largest strikes in decades but also the emergence of grave challenges for workers and activists. As researchers of Chinese labour, we believe that this calls for more serious analysis from both scholars and practitioners, as well for a critical engagement with a broader international audience interested in forging international solidarity. It is with these aims in mind—and thanks to the support of the Australian Centre on China in the World, ANU, and the European Union Horizon 2020 Programme— that we are now starting this new venture. In this first issue, you will find summaries of recent events that have taken place in China, as well as a series of columns on specific topics, such as the recent wave of protests in the Chinese state sector and the expected impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership on labour rights. We devote the core of the first issue to the plight of Chinese labour NGOs, contextualising it through a debate between three promi-nent international labour experts. Finally, we celebrate the award of the prestigious Joseph Levenson Prize to Luigi Tomba, a long-standing researcher of Chinese labour. The newsletter is hosted by Chinoiresie. info, a forthcoming collective blog edited by young scholars and dedicated to the analysis of Chinese society. If you are interested in sharing your insights on this newsletter, or on the website, you can contact us at madeinchina@chinoiresie. info. We welcome any feedback and we hope you will consider sharing this newsletter with y our friends and colleagues.Item Embargo Hammer to Fall(Canberra, ACT : Australian Centre on China in the World, The Australian National University, 2016) Australian National University. Australian Centre on China in the WorldWe are pleased to announce the second issue of Made in China. In this issue, we open with a series of Briefs that provide an overview of notable stories that have taken place over the past three months. In the last quarter, one of the most important developments for Chinese civil society is the passing of the Law on the Management of Foreign NGOs� Activities within Mainland China on 28 April. Although a draft released early last year had received extensive domestic and international criticism, the Law was passed with only minor revisions. What we previously described as a sword of Damocles looming over Chinese civil society has now become reality.Item Embargo Heart of Darkness?(Canberra, ACT : Australian Centre on China in the World, The Australian National University, 2016) Australian National University. Australian Centre on China in the WorldWe are pleased to announce the third issue of Made in China. As usual, we open with a series of Briefs where we provide an overview of notable stories that occurred over the past three months. Undoubtedly the most important development is the conviction, but suspended sentences, of labour activists Zeng Feiyang, Zhu Xiaomei, and Tang Huanxing, while a fourth activist, Meng Han, is still awaiting trial. In the midst of an oppressive political climate, a suspended sentence comes as a relief to Chinese labour NGOs, which are already struggling to survive due to government repression and increasing financial constraints.Item Embargo Eye in the Sky(Canberra, ACT : Australian Centre on China in the World, The Australian National University, 2016) Australian National University. Australian Centre on China in the WorldTo wrap up a tumultuous year in Chinese labour and civil society, we are pleased to announce the publication of the fourth issue of Made in China. Among the most notable events in the last quarter are the protests that erupted at several plants in China owned by multinational companies, such as Coca-Cola, Danone, and Sony, following the announcement that the factories would be sold to local Chinese companies. Other significant happenings include a series of blasts at Chinese coal mines that claimed dozens of lives and prompted widespread public questioning of the commitment of the authorities to workplace safety in the mining sector, as well as the sentencing of Meng Han�the last labour activist on trial as part of the crackdown of December 2015�to twenty-one months in prison. In the China Columns section, we present three essays that offer distinct perspectives on how the party-state manages and controls an increasingly unequal and fractured society.Item Embargo The Good Earth(Canberra, ACT : Australian Centre on China in the World, The Australian National University, 2017) Australian National University. Australian Centre on China in the WorldWhile global attention has focussed on China's top-down environmental efforts, in this issue of Made in China we consider the engagement of Chinese citizens with state policies on the environment, and look into their potential for articulating workable grassroots alternatives. In particular, we examine the management of public resources 'the so-called 'commons'.Item Embargo Fare Thee Well, Chinese Civil Society?(Canberra, ACT : Australian Centre on China in the World, The Australian National University, 2017) Australian National University. Australian Centre on China in the WorldFor many years now, Chinese civil society has been the focus of considerable expectations for scholars, journalists, and politicians all over the world. There has been great eagerness to salute every small victory by Chinese NGOs and activists over the powerful party-state as evidence that the authoritarian tide was finally receding in China, and that grassroots forces were stepping up to take a new role in Chinese politics and society. In light of these high hopes, it is not surprising that the recent troubling news coming from China has been acutely disappointing and has dampened people's enthusiasm. With the arrest of yet another activist, the airing of yet another public confession, the closure of yet another NGO working for the weak and disenfranchised, and the passing of yet another repressive law, the world has come to view Chinese civil society as if it were on its deathbed. For sure, an idea of Chinese civil society is ailing. But, if we consider the swiftness with which the party-state has tamed these forces (at least for the time being), was this civil society ever there in first place? Or were we simply projecting our hopes onto a handful of Chinese grassroots organisations and activis ts? While we mourn the death of an ideal, it is imperative that we overcome our sorrow to look at the momentous changes that are currently taking place in the realm of Chinese civil society. In this issue of Made in China, we offer a series of perspectives on these developments.Item Embargo Chinese Labour in a Global Perspective(Canberra, ACT : Australian Centre on China in the World, The Australian National University, 2017) Australian National University. Australian Centre on China in the WorldIn today's globalised and interconnected world, Chinese labour issues have become much more than merely a local matter. With China's political and economic power increasing by the day, it is imperative not only to assess how this growing influence affects labour relations in other countries, but also to abandon an exceptional view of China by engaging in more comparative research. In this sense, the study of Chinese labour indeed provides a powerful lens or perhaps a mirror to further our understanding of the contemporary world and our potential futures. With this aim in mind, in this issue of Made in China we publish a series of essays that either frame Chinese labour comparatively or examine its transnational implications.Item Embargo Balancing Acts(Canberra, ACT : Australian Centre on China in the World, The Australian National University, 2017) Australian National University. Australian Centre on China in the WorldOn 18 November, a fire broke out in a popular housing block inhabited mostly by migrant workers in Beijing's Daxing district, killing nineteen. Citing the need to ensure safety, in a matter of days the local authorities forced tens of thousands of 'low-end people' (diduan renkou) to abandon their dwellings in the suburbs of the Chinese capital, showing absolutely no regard for their livelihoods. Families who had moved from all over China and had, in some cases, lived in Beijing for years were effectively thrown out on the street and left to their own fate in the freezing northern winter. In just a few days they lost everything, a cruel reminder of the precarity inherent to the life of the Chinese migr ant. This issue of Made in China includes a series of essays that examine different declinations of precarity.