Huge countries with huge conglomerates have all the advantages, he says, whereas smaller countries simply do not have the wherewithal to compete. Others argue that succoring the uncompetitive is a waste of time and resources. A closely associated concern is Western moves to link trade with the improvement of labor conditions and environmental protection, which could undermine Asia's competitiveness. The WTO talks in Seattle collapsed not because of the protestors outside but because the negotiators inside could not agree on how to distribute the pain and pleasure of further liberalization. Those are the concerns of officials and businessmen.
Social activists point to a different set of problems.
Trade liberalization has boosted only a privileged few, they say. Labor activists say workers are suffering as competition intensifies and factories skip across borders. They have forgotten the human factor. Environmentalists lament that rich countries' hunger for commodities and manufactured goods is stripping and polluting Asia, with the help of development-obsessed governments and businesses in the region. Finally, there is the murky area of values and culture.