Indulge me a quick personal story.
Twice now I’ve been duped by Facebook ads into ordering American looking products (furniture polish and a blouse) that I later discovered came from China.
The packages arrived months late with Chinese language return addresses that were indecipherable and unreturnable. The blouse was doll sized with two different sleeve lengths. Instead of furniture polish the crushed toothpaste-sized box I received contained spackle with a pointed applicator.
I’m annoyed with Facebook for failing to disclose where their advertised products come from. I am angrier with the Chinese manufacturers who tricked me – twice. Shame on me if I fall for that again.
This lesson strikes me as a metaphor for the long-standing relationship between the United States and China. Time after time the Chinese have taken advantage, deceived and outright stolen from us. Our government response has been wishy-washy.
Chinese duplicity goes way back. Foreign policy experts figure that the Chinese theft of intellectual property from Americans costs the U.S. between $225 billion to $600 billion a year. The Chinese have long hacked into American computers, stolen software and trade secrets, illegally infringed on patents and, for years, they have counterfeited American goods and sold them around the world – including right back here in the United States. If an American citizen had employed similar tactics they would have risked a long prison term.
The Chinese have also long practiced unfair trade tactics by forcing their grossly underpaid citizens to produce products that other countries could never duplicate without resorting to slave labor. They have slapped exorbitant tariffs on U.S. goods headed into China thus putting a chokehold on American companies hoping to tap into the massive Chinese market.
Now the United States is forced to kowtow to this predatory empire for sorely needed medical assistance as we struggle through the COVID-19 pandemic – which came from their country. This is now the third pandemic/epidemic to have originated in China. Both the Asian flu (1957) and the Hong Kong flu (1968) started in China and together claimed about three million deaths worldwide. The milder epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-2003) was also traced to China.
Now there’s COVID-19.
It is clear we have allowed our country to become overly reliant on Chinese goods and services and now the very health of America is at stake.
Realize that China controls production of a massive amount the world’s medicines, medicinal compounds and medical supplies and equipment. For example, 90% percent of our antibiotics, vitamin C, ibuprofen and hydrocortisone is manufactured in China. About 70% of acetaminophen and about 45% of the blood thinner Heparin comes from China. About half of the safety masks made in the world come from China.
If we push the regime too hard on their hacking of U.S. trade secrets, if we harshly question them on their illogically low COVID-19 death rate or condemn them for currently hoarding face masks we risk the possibility of serious Chinese retribution.
What if China, in a fit of parochial pique, decides to send us shoddy pharmaceuticals or medical equipment – or none at all?
There was a glimmer of hope that relations might begin to even out last fall when President Trump optimistically told American farmers to “buy more tractors and land” because China had agreed to spend $40 billion a year on American agriculture products. However, recent estimates from Washington report China is not on track to buy that much. The current total of agriculture sales to Beijing is more like $14 billion. Duped again? In this globalized economy we cannot afford to write off relations with China. But I’ve learned my lesson. No more ordering from Facebook ads lest they be from a Chinese company. And, I will try my best to buy nothing marked “made in China.”
China is not our friend. They unapologetically operate by a completely different standard of conduct. That we have allowed ourselves to become so subservient to them – in business, in technology, in medicine – and that we allowed so many U.S. manufacturing jobs to ebb away to China – is maddening.
We are paying for it now. We will continue to pay for it in the future unless drastic changes are made.
Reader Gary L. Hoe writes:
I agree with you wholeheartedly on this one, dear lady.
I am old enough to remember when “Made in Japan” meant cheap, crude toys and goods, but at least they didn’t try to steal technology and lie about it. Then they learned how to make some really good cars and cameras and electronics, and look where they are now – competitive capitalism’s poster child.
China, on the other hand, is like the burglar who empties your house, and then sets up a yard sale across the street.
I can link to your column in the Albuquerque Journal here: https://www.abqjournal.com/1442589/lessons-learned-from-chinas-chokehold-on-america.html and would like your permission to forward it to a number of alumni and veterans with whom I maintain contact.
Thanks for writing what needed to be said. I just hope our political (non)leaders will listen and take it to heart.
Gary L. Hoe
Reader Gunhild Vetter writes:
Your Op-Ed about your experience with China’s junk reminded me of some of the junk I have ended up with and now when I shop and I find something I am looking for but it is made in China I do without it until I can find it made in the US or another place.
I have become a customer of a company that makes everything in the US. They have a great furniture polish that really cleans and deflects dust so I don’t have to dust as often. The company is called Melaleuca and I think you can check out the products on line at Melaleuca.com. In order to sign up or order on line you need a referral and you are welcome to use my name to do that. Products are all chemical free and because they are so concentrated you don’t have to pay for all the fillers or water in other products you buy in the store. You add water into a spray bottle with the concentrate. It is good stuff and made in USA.
Reader Leeza Taw writes:
I totally agreed with Diane. Many times online orders placed in Amazon or Individual Companies DO NOT SPECIFY where they are coming from (NOWAY OF KNOWING) After payment is made then notification from PAYPAL was paid US $ to China and the items take weeks to arrive.
Another ISSUE: 80% of products carried in COSTCO, TARGET, WALMART are Made In China. Come to think of it, WHY ARE WE PAYING CHINA TO GET RICH AND LET THEM INTIMIDATE THE WORLD. Whoever has money will RULE THE WORLD. Are we ready to be subordinate letting Communists make the Rules for the world???
Reader miguel hendley writes:
All americans have to do is boycott anything from china……..very simple…..yes very hard………….but if we work on this like we have the virus we can bring china to its knees!
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Reader George Panackal writes:
As a patriot, I have been on the lookout for products that are made in America, for several years now. If I can’t find it being made here, I would look for products that are made NOT in China. If I am able to find something that was made right here in the US, I would pick that, though I might have to pay extra for it; I have been willing to take that hit for the sake of my fellow Americans. Can I encourage my dear fellow Americans to try and do the same?
Reader juliebrinson replies to George:
Absolutely agree with you. And paying more for American labor not only helps our fellow countrymen with employment, but the quality of the goods we buy is inevitable better.
Reader harschwarz writes:
The US has over 400 companies manufacturing goods in China. Many are exported to Target, Walmart, and Amazon. So whe you say boycott China, do you mean don’t buy Nike’s or flat screen TV’s or PC’s., because that’s where the US gets it’s good manufactured. It’s called outsourcing. So this push back means that a pair of jeans you buy at Costco for $ 20 today will cost you $30 if it’s manufactured in the US. The real answer to manufacture here in the US, but everyone wants cheaper goods. We are heavily invested in China. We boycott China we hurt our own economy.
Reader Paul F replies to Harschwarz:
Yea, well at least try. Research “where made” before you buy. Understand that ALL Made in China product purchases funds the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which funds their IP and trade theft, illegal drug warfare (fentanyl poisoning of our citizens), cyber theft, propaganda campaigns, etc. Do you really want to support this with your money?
Reader John Frabotta writes:
Have said before and will say again. The multi- national US companies and their Boards have done more damage to this country than all foreign terrorist combined. Time to hold them accountable. Also, it may time for Trump to deal with the treasonist media in the same way Lincoln did. Revoke thier licences and imprison them.
DD replies to John:
Mr. Frabotta, first, journalists are not required to have a “license” to ply their trade. Second, if Trump somehow found a legal way to imprison the media (highly, highly doubtful) you would not be able to read columns like mine. You would not get any news at all except what the White House wanted you to have. Think about that – would that be okay with you? Just ONE source of information on everything of interest?
Reader GRAHAM TREDRAY writes:
I think you are going to see a push back against China when all this is over. I will TRY not to buy Chinese goods, but where I live, the only available Garlic is Chinese.
Reader Paul F replies to Graham:
Grow your own garlic, on American soil. Deprive the CCP of your money.
Reader Roger Hawkes writes:
…and in 8 years, Obama never did a thing about China (or north Korea ,or Iran).
Reader Mark Godbey replies to Roger Hawkes:
Neither has Trump. A lot of hot air.
Diane Dimond replies to Mark Godbey:
The Trump Administration has negotiated the first of an unprecedented trade agreement with the Chinese. Trump also instituted considerable tariffs on Chinese goods coming into this country. I’m not a big Trump fan but that is way more than any Bush, Clinton or Obama ever did. At least it’s a stab at leveling the playing field a bit.
Reader Cliff Darnell writes: They don’t have the rules we have .
Reader Richard Hydell writes:
I never thought of them as anything more then planning to do take over the world. The leader as is Putin are the same as Hitler.Cold blooded killers .
Reader Kurt K Guy writes to suggest:
“The One Hundred Year War” and “Deceiving the Sky” are two great books about how the Chinese Communist government has manipulated, bought off and stolen their way to the top.
The authors of these books, at first, promoted and agreed with our policies of helping China. Than as they began to truly understand the Chinese governments ideology they realized they are no friend.
It’s truly impressive and scary to see how much they have accomplished in such little time.
“In future wars there will be more hostilities like financial warfare in which a country is subjugated without spilling a drop of blood.”
– Colonial Qao Liang and Colonial Wang Xiangui, Unrestricted Warfare, 1999
Reader Drew Rutberg writes:
I couldn’t agree more and think how much they’ve done that hasn’t been made public. // Btw telling the truth about China is racist.
Reader Frances Louise Armstrong writes:
We need to follow the money to see who is responsible for this bad situation. I think we will find it is almost all past elected officials in the last 30 years. We need to stop electing career politicians and find more America loving business men and women.
Reader Ray Labella writes:
Yes, it appears that they (China) have run a muck. No more wet markets. No more human rights violations. No more currency manipulation. When this is over they need to be open to investigation or we need to be open to turning our backs on them. The blood of our citizens is on their hands until you can convince me otherwise, they are the cause of all of this grief
Reader Centeno Angeles writes:
The PRC is an enemy to the West and a dangerous threat to the rest of the world.
Reader Janet Lee Carpenter writes:
We need to make our own Medication here and look out for ourselves and quit depending on other countries. Look out for number one and don’t step in number two like we just did.
Reader John Driscoll writes:
We let them fly in and give birth to their babies , how stupid is that ?
Reader Christopher Dukas writes:
Totally agree— but it didn’t happen overnight. Corporate greed sold us out.
As usual, very well said.
Diane,
I agree with you on this wholeheartedly and posted similar viewpoints on social media to this effect. We as Americans need to do a “Lessons Learned” exercise commonly used in business analytics and apply it to Americas global “partners” who have proven their unreliability on many fronts; ideology; the lack of honesty, forthrightousness; and so forth.As you noted, their track track record to contribute to global pandemics is staggering and not in a good way.
For example, after WWII, products from Japan were considered junk until American engineer W. Edwards Deming took his analytical expertise over to Japan to help improve their quality issues. He created Quality Circles, whereby not only were people making and assembling items, they also inspected throughtout the process and met to discuss issue to be resolved. They took these concepts and vastly improved their products. For many years after, Japan provided highest quality items of excellent value competing with other world class manufacturers, Americans, Germans, Swiss. For a country that’s been around a long time, Communist China was and is far behind in many sectors of manufacturing, many as family run, “mom & pop” business from their homes & gray market.
Both you and I have been duped ordering online from what we thought were reputable companies, not only accepting personal credit cards but various accredited payservices like PayPal, Venmo, only to find items of poor quality, even more poorly packaged shipped direct from CN China Post and being totally unusable, seldom to get a refund or replacment. Your lucky if you get any packages at all. With the outbreak of Covid-19, unless I’m sure where items are coming from, my personal online shopping virtually stopped. That’s not wanting to bring any possible viral tag alongs with my package, simimlar to other germs and allergens transferred from one culture’s global region to another via the trade route. Not so sure global trade is a great thing after this, we should be more selective in our choices and know where items are either made, sourced from or passed through to get to the states.
Totally agree our federal administration, regardless of party alignment, needs to provide a more suitable manufacturing enviroment here in the states along with inclusion laws to prevent non US portions being included in US produced goods. We were known as a major power in manufacturing at one time but through trade deals like NAFTA with Mexico, various one with China, others looking for low-cost labor (but thinking child labor laws were observed), we got in bed with them. You have to figure low-cost is going to become low-quality at some point when the American’s go home to let the Chinese-American companies manage themselves. Their culture is where the oldest, regardless of skill, is the honored person who all younger will take direction from. Could be the janitor but after the American staff leave, all workers will listen to the eldest Chinese in their company. If that person doesn’t have the knowledge or skill, companies fail. Americans go back, attempt to remedy ‘problem’ then leave, only to occur over and over.
As a support engineer with a global company in one of my careers, I did similar support for stateside subcontractors, many times training, retraining constantly changing workforce, misuse of tools, non-followed procedures, lack of inspection/quality understanding, etc. At some point you either fix the problem or change subcontractors, only to repeat the process until you find one that has your same value system & skills to produce the quality you desire at a fair market value. It’s challenging at best, frustrating at worst. But needs to be done.
In summary, we the people expect the federal, state and local goverments earn their keep, our trust and support, by their expedient efforts to right this wrong, leave blaming games to enact better conditions, laws that allow America to return to a global manufacturer where we are not dependant on a frail, egotistical and dishonest culture with China any longer. We’ve done it in the past, we can do it again. Our future existance depends on it.
Reader Ms. Dimond —
I’ve been trying my best “to buy nothing marked ‘made in China'” for several years. I’m surprised you’re just getting to this. I try not to buy anything foreign made, which is next to impossible. And why? No doubt corporate greed initiated the change from Made in America to foreign made goods. I’ve long resented that Apple and many other manufacturers have their products made in cheap labor China — and then charge us up the yazoo, not to mention destroy American jobs. I’ve wondered when this having our goods made overseas started. It seems to me when I was growing up (50’s) most products were Made in America.
I was shocked to learn only recently that most antibiotics, etc., are manufactured there. That’s scary. I’d wager most Americans would pay a little more to have most products made here and keep the jobs here. Of course, this would be in our former “normal” times. After only a month or so of this virus scourge, it seems our lives will never again be the normal we’ve always known.
Rosemary P. Rhew
Reader Silvio Dell’Angela writes:
Diane
Your article, “Lessons learned from China’s chokehold on America” was yet another one very well done. These articles of yours are a welcomed relief from the too often propaganda pieces the Journal publishes-mostly to demonize our current President.
Silvio
Lt. Col USAF retired-Vietnam vet
The drug heprin is made from the intestines of pigs. Even the Untied States Largest pork producer Smithfield is owned by China. It amazes me that our government allowed this to happen. Buy American for America.
Reader Vincent F. Amen writes:
The credit card companies are good with this. My wife bought a product for $200 through a facebook ad. Product came from China. The product was horrible and cheaply made. When you call the credit card company and explain it came from a Facebook ad. They return the money quickly.
Reader Theresa Edens writes:
Enjoyed your column in the ABQ journal today. I have been a fan for a long time. You’re fair and I believe unbiased. I also have ordered things from Facebook only to have a Chinese return address. Even a reputable American company like Ross-simons jewelry that I have bought for years came that way. Sometimes it’s obvious because you can tell by the skin color and finger shape of the person in the ad if their hands are pictured( not being racist!) but most times it is impossible to tell. I will not order anything on fb again! Buy American. But it’s hard!!!
Reader John Driscoll writes: Why do we import sanitizers and disinfectants , DOW, BAYER , DUPONT , CLOROX ?
Reader Lorrie Sarafin writes:
Unfortunately China OWNS us …
Reader Donna R. Gore writes:
Excellent commentary. I wonder how long will it take for us in the US to become self-reliant in these areas? We certainly have the means. Example – Connecticut has a ventilator company that immediately responded to the Governor’s request We’re too used to tolerating cheap labor at any expense…. even thousands of lives!
Reader Robin Haines Kaehr writes:
Right now, all I can feel is that the CHI-COMS need to pay for this nightmare.
Reader Kent Walz writes:
Absolutely true….and that’s not xenophobic, racist or anything but fact…
Reader Jack Shell writes:
Amen. Thank you.
Reader Savannah Silver writes:
They have been stealing intellectual property for decades, when you do business with them they make one for you and one for them, look at all the black market items from purses to clothing to drugs to anything … once you work with them you are in bed with the devil and not a damn thing you can do to stop them, I have done business with them, You think you are saving money, not on your life, they steal from you while charging you to make your products and that is the game. We had a hold over them when things were made in Japan, they stole our country long ago, they own so much of this nations debt, now we need to default and tell them get out. Keep your dangerous garbage products and food, plastics, clothing, electronics, the entire sum and substance of the end game. take back the real estate in NYC and all over this country and lock them out.
Reader Claudia LaPlaca George writes:
They are not our friend. Globalism caused this slippery path many years ago. This virus is a wake up call that we must manufacture our pharmaceuticals in the USA for one. The Chinese government lied to the world about this killer flu. They are responsible. Unfortunately they own our incredible Debt, and they are flipping us off. Our electricity grid better not get hacked!!!
Reader Marjorie Bard writes:
I love Chinese food and have traveled the U.S. for years eating at Chinese restaurants…UNTIL I noticed a kitchen with empty cans, (e.g., water chestnuts) citing “from China.” I haven’t had any Chinese food for years…and I miss it! The U.S. does not grow water chestnuts, certain sprouts and sauces, or most canned mushrooms. All Chinese products are supposed to label the country of origin.
I don’t understand why consumers ignore labels…