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Period: to
Laogai Camps
Laogai,(translated to 'reform through power'), was a popular belief in communist China used to consolidate power. Imprisoned within the camps, many Kuomintang supporters and members of the bourgeoisie were forced into working long 12 hour shifts with no breaks. Around 2,500 out of 3,000 prisoners died of starvation between 1960 and 1962, with some survivors resorting to cannibalism. -
The Great Leap Forward
The “Great Leap Forward” plan calls for an unrealistic increase in industrial and agricultural production. Many people's land was seized and they were forced to mass produce goods for little to no pay. This time was one of the greatest famines in world history with an estimated 30 million deaths from starvation. -
Reinvention of Laogai Camps
In 1994 laogai camps were renamed "prisons" but Chinese Criminal Law still said that prisoners able to work shall "accept education and reform through labor". -
Oppressive Factories
Factories began to take advantage of poverty stricken areas, offering jobs to many. Unfortunately, workers were paid unfair wages and were forced to work long hours. Many workers were required to live in the factories, sleeping in crowded bunks with family visits once a month. -
China joins the World Trade Organization
In November, 2001 China joins the World Trade Organization. This means an increase in factories with the increase in demand for Chinese products. -
China's Economic Crisis
The government announces a $586bn stimulus package to avoid the economy slowing. The effect of the global financial crisis on China is worse than expected. -
Foxconn Suicides reach their peak
The Foxconn Suicides are an increase of suicides linked to low pay in the so-called "Foxconn City" ,an industrial park in China. in 2010 there were a reported 24 suicides from one single factory in the area. -
China's Economic growth
2011 February - China overtakes Japan to become the world's second-largest economy after Tokyo published figures showing a Japanese GDP rise of only four percent in 2010. -
The First Protests
Workers at a Chinese factory owned by Foxconn, Apple Inc’s main manufacturer, threatened to jump off the roof of a building in a protest over wages. This caused the two firms to form an agreement on improving working conditions. However, conditions were still terrible. -
The Chinese Uproar
Hundreds of local residents massed in the public square, under banners denouncing the Companies in which they work for and urging people to protest for fair wages. The Chinese government considered these protests as "violent threats".
