Dayton: ‘Phenomenal economic force’ in China
08/16/2005
Melissa Lee,
Star Tribune Washington Bureau Correspondent
August 16, 2005
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn., returned Sunday from a two-week trip to China, during which he met with government officials, visited a local orphanage and toured a Nike plant near Shanghai. Dayton paid for the trip himself, saying it was for his own educational benefit. In a conference call Monday, the senator spoke from Minneapolis about his trip. Here are excerpts from the interview:
Describe your time in China.
We toured a Nike plant--500 employees were working there on a very, very hot August day. They were making 15,000 pairs of Nike shoes a day, we were told, for 60 to 70 cents a day. They were working reasonable conditions compared to stories I’ve read about, but certainly not conditions one would expect in the United States. It shows the incredible comparative advantage the company enjoys in situations like that. The hard work, the intelligence, the desire to move ahead, multiplied by 1.3 billion people, is a phenomenal economic force now.
How would you characterize the United States’ relationship with China?
It’s a multi-faceted relationship. I think, overall, the Bush administration is steering a moderate course, which is appropriate. But I think it needs to be one based on a genuine respect for national autonomy and the political, social, economic force they are in the world and will continue to be.
What does the United States need to do to stay competitive with China?
We’re well ahead economically now, as they acknowledge. It’s not by any means a country as developed as ours, but on the other hand, it’s a country that’s making the necessary steps to build a better economic future. They’re doing a lot of good things, and we’re going to need to be competitive. We’re going to have to be as good and as smart and strategic as they are.
What is the lifestyle there?
I’m not an expert on living conditions there. I believe the average wage there is about 100 to 110 U.S. dollars a month. With that, there’s an enormous amount of consumerism.