How ironic - the red carpet is rolled out for China's leader as steel plant closures are announced
By John Welford
@indexer (4852)
Leicester, England
October 20, 2015 9:14am CST
Britain's steel industry is in deep trouble. Hundreds of jobs are due to go at plants in Scotland (Motherwell and Clydebridge) as well as in Sc*nthorpe, Lincolnshire. This is on top of the closure of the steel plant at Redcar, which was announced last month.
The main reason for this devastation of a long-established industry, in which generations of workers have produced high-grade steel for decades, is that world prices have plummeted, and the main reason for that is that China, which can pay its workers rock-bottom wages, has flooded the market with low-price steel.
And who is currently paying a state visit to the United Kingdom, with all the ceremony and flag-waving that involves? None other than President Xi Linping of China!
The irony - needless to say - is lost on nobody!
(Apologies for the asterisk in the town in Lincolnshire - it is a "bad word" due to the missing letter being a U!)
5 people like this
5 responses
@artemeis (4189)
• China
25 Oct 15
UK will never become China and retrospectively. Not in our lifetime and I am very confident of it.
However, your businesses may consider a shift to China to remain competitive to the world. It's already taking place with some brands and industries.
1 person likes this
@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
25 Oct 15
@artemeis The problem with steel is that China is selling its products here at below cost price - it's called dumping and it breaks international trade rules.
British people are losing their jobs - I can't see them moving to China to work for the salaries and in the conditions that allow China to produce cheap steel. We should be looking to raising peoples living standards, not reducing them to suit international markets dominated by countries that treat their workers with disdain and allow them no personal freedoms.
3 people like this
@artemeis (4189)
• China
25 Oct 15
@indexer
How could China be dumping when it cannot be setting the price? Besides it would be stupid for the companies involved to be earning less than what they could have earned with the market price.
I think in all fairness we all need to take a look at the people who are buying the steel where they have already established the price when they came to China to negotiate for it. There's no fire if there's no spark and as such don't you think that it is your demands that is establishing the price.
1 person likes this
@artemeis (4189)
• China
21 Oct 15
I wonder if you have ever spared a thought that your manufacturing industries are all being threatened by other countries that could manufacture at lower prices and they are other than China.
It is a fact that some enterprises have redirected their businesses to these lower cost countries to remain competitive like Western Digital, Seagate, Nike, Adidas, Rebok and many who have gained redirecting to other manufacturing conducive countries.
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (49775)
• India
7 Jul 17
I think what happens is that big industrialists, Government officials and even people close to the Heads of states benefit with such closures and Business deals.
In this case, you can't blame the lowly paid Chinese workers. They are just doing their duty.
They cannot be blamed for closures in UK.
Yet those whose jobs go could develop a hatred for the people in other countries, whereas, it is due to the Trade and other terms, and a lot of people's self-interest that such closures happen.
Now I am not saying that we ought to increase import tarrifs to a very high limit and banish all free trade, but there needs to be some balance, where both the importing and exporting countries and their economies can continue on a good trajectory.
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
20 Oct 15
Yes it is great the way the worlds leaders carry on as if nothing is happening and get great welcomes with pomp and circumstance. Oh the devastation!
2 people like this
