“Made in China”; The History and Future of Stigmatism Surrounding Chinese Manufacturing

“Made in China.” Three words forming a phrase that hold immense history and significance, to the extent that the Google search “Why is everything made in China?,” exceeded 400,000 searches in the past year alone. Nearly 65 percent of the world’s garments and textiles are produced in China, yet the ubiquitous “Made in China” label is often subjected to contempt and disdain regarding the quality of the product. To most American citizens the phrase” Made in China” is synonymous with substandard, inferior commodities. In most circumstances, the quality of the product is justified by the general public’s reaction, as Chinese manufacturers are known to create semi-inferior products for a far lower cost than other manufacturers. However, the stigma behind the label is so deeply embedded in society, that a 2020 survey of over 1,000 US adults concluded 40 percent wouldn’t purchase a product solely based on the Chinese label. Just recently, a Utah based company was fined for switching the tags on its apparel from “Made in China” to “Made in the USA.”

History:

The stigma associated with the label has spanned decades. In 1979, China began an allowance for foreign trade and re-established commerce with the US, thus allowing exports and American accessibility to Chinese markets. With the massive increase in Chinese exports globally and the high demand for low cost products to effectively compete with other market producers, the supply quality decreased relative to the high demand. This rapid growth, conjugated with a lack of regulations in China, resulted in unethical labor conditions to meet the growing demand. China’s unscrupulous labor practices were uncovered in numerous exposés and generated a stigma against goods made in China that would span decades. This low quality was the result of Western companies seeking inexpensive products thus leading to the inevitable result of inferior quality. Operating on exceedingly narrow margins there is no possibility for factories to generate high quality products. Therefore, it can be concluded that the decreased quality wasn’t the fault of Chinese factories, but rather the consumer companies that desired inexpensive labor.

Covid-19:

With the rise of Covid-19 and the pandemic, increasing Asian hate has persisted. The pandemic intensified and exemplified xenophobia towards Asian Americans, leading to a 339% increase in Asian hate crimes, in the past year, to a total of over 9,000 recorded hate crimes. Consequently, this resulted in perpetuating the stigma behind the label, when consumers inevitably strayed away from purchasing products produced in China. Chinese exports fell tremendously to a record low since the Great Depression. Many people, however, think that the root causes of the low exports were mainly from supply chain issues and worker shortages exemplified by the pandemic.

Laws:

Ever since the controversy surrounding immoral labor practices carried out in China, the government has made significant steps towards redemption. China enacted labor laws in 2008 that included worker protections and required employers to supply workers with transparent employment contracts. The country has undergone significant technological advancements and improvements, to the extent that many European luxury brands are utilizing China for manufacturing. From Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, Burberry, and Louis Vuitton, a wide array of luxury brands, deemed high quality by consumers, reflects the increase in caliber of quality in Chinese manufacturing. In addition, the government has ordained stricter laws and regulations on manufacturing and labor practices.

The Chinese government has also cultivated a campaign to change the world’s perception of Chinese exports and manufacturing. This movement, launched in 2015, is known as the Made in China 2025 campaign. The goal is to extensively promote, enhance, and rejuvenate the Chinese industry as well as decreasing any preconceived notions of inadequate, mediocre quality to reestablish China as a top-of-the-line manufacturer by the year 2025.

Improvements:

Globally, China is improving perception as a credible source of technological merchandise. The increasing quality through technological advancements is evident in the transformation of the country’s export statistics. Comprehensively, in 1995, the machinery and electronics sector totaled to a meager 18.6% of total exports. In contrast, in 2017, exports in said sector rose to 43.34%. Additionally, the Chinese smartphone brand Huawei was ranked second in the globe for quality and sales, falling just behind Apple and Samsung, with 152 million units shipped universally. Huawei outcompeted Apple with a 41 percent growth rate between 2017 and 2018. Outside the realm of the smartphone industry, China is dominating other aspects of the technology sector as well, with advancements in drones. The Chinese brand Dajiang Innovation, controlled 72 percent of the global drone market in 2018.

Conclusion and Considerations:

It’s important to note that unethical practices in factories and inequitable wages do still exist in China; however, these injustices exist everywhere, including the United States. The only difference is that, while the Chinese customs are deemed controversial and subjected to stigmatism associated with the “Made in China” label, other parts of the world don’t experience this stigmatism.

However, another deliberation to note is the long journey ahead regarding improvements for Chinese manufacturing standards. While there are labor laws enforced to regulate conditions, there are still many companies where forced, underage, and underpaid labor is still prevalent, and laws are overlooked.

While there are significant improvements to be made in China, it is clear that many drastic improvements have been made in the manufacturing sector with stricter regulations set in place and a greater emphasis placed on producing higher quality commodities. The stigmatism surrounding the “Made in China” label is a reflection of past history and is outdated in the present day. The stigmatism is only fueled by archaic preconceived notions and amplified by xenophobia with the rise of Covid-19. Many brands are taking charge of mitigating the stigmatism and are embracing and emphasizing the “Made in China” label as something of high value and worth, rather than something that is regarded with disdain and contempt.

Sources: