Thousands of these people are expected to turn out to protest the IMF-World Bank meeting in Washington, D.C. on April 16. The protest has been called by a wide range of unions, environmental groups, student organizations and groups devoted to ending Third World debt. The Clinton administration and Republican leaders in Congress are pushing hard for this arrangement. But hundreds of environmental and human rights organization are opposed, and union leaders are planning a 10,000-strong rally against the deal on April 12. Lots of politicians will denounce China's human rights abuses and tell labor leaders about their concerns for Chinese workers.
China is one of the most repressive countries in the world .
Genuine trade unions aren't allowed. That's why U.S. bosses like China so much. But labor and human rights activists should be wary about jumping on the anti-China bandwagon. When it comes to political repression, China is hardly alone in the WTO club. WTO member Colombia leads the world in death-squad assassinations of unionists.