China Hong Kong WTO - 2005: December 2005

Day 10 in Hong Kong - China and Globalization 12/15/05

"China and Globalization: What to Know about the "New China" and Its Importance for Global Social Justice
1. The panel
2. Audience
3. Victor Menotti and Dale Wen of the Internation Forum on Globalization
4. Ao Loong Yu, Hong Kong social activist
5. Yan Hairong, sociology professor
6. The view out to window

Day 10 in Hong Kong - WTO Impact Forum 12/15/05

1. "Impact of 10 Years of WTO: Farmers and the Environment" - Panel
2. Ursula from Mexico
3. Vandana Shiva making a point
4. Vandana Shiva - one of my heroes in the anti-globalization struggle

Day 10 in Hong Kong - Street Scenes 12/15/05

This morning, I venture out and explore the neighboor near my hotel in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon.

Day 9 in Hong Kong - Sculpture - 12/14/05

Sculpture in Victoria Park
The sculpture is the work of Jens Galschiot, a Danish scupltor
The images are meant to shock and disturb.
1. Hunger March - Sculptures of starved children.
2. Survival of the Fattest - A huge fat woman from the West sitting on the shoulders of a starved African man. The sculpture epitomizes the imbalanced distribution of the world's resources, preserved by a biased and unjust world trade.
3.Mad Cow Disease - A pair of scales. On one arm a dead cow is hanging by its legs, on the other a number of Africans (in copper). A symbol pinpointing that the rich world is spending five times the amount of their development aid to subsidize their own agriculture.

Day 9 in Hong Kong - Forum #2 - 12/14/05

Forum on "Defending the Water Commons"

Day 9 in Hong Kong - Forum #1 - 12/14/05

In the morning, I attend a forum entitled: Asian People's Voices
The Impact of WTO on Asian Communities
A testimony of experiences

Day 9 in Hong Kong - Victoria Park 12/14/05

When I am in China, I like to go into the parks in the morning and observe all the activities going on, especially Tai Chi and Chigong. Here are some photos taken in Victoria Park.

Day 8 in Hong Kong - 12/13/05

Rally at Victoria Park and march to the Hong Kong Convention Center

An Asian-Seattle with delegations from all over Asia - workers, farmers, fisherfolk, and women coming together in solidartiy. Their banners and slogans shown why they feel the WTO must be derailed and scaled back. The numbers of protestors was comparable to those at Cancun, perhaps 20,000.

The Korean farmers, two thousand strong, were fierce and disciplined, gave today's demonstration spirit and vitality. At the end of the march, they clashed with police. There was some head bashing but no one was seriously injured, and the Hong Kong police maintained remarkable composure. It was kind of sparring match, a warm-up for the main event for Sunday's rally and march when the Koreans will go all out.

Pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them

Day 7 in Hong Kong - 12/12/05

1. Hong Kong skyline
2. Booth at Victoria Park
3. Booth at Victoria Park
4. Forum on "Improving Labour Rights in China"
5. Worker giving testimony on beatings by employer

Day 6 in Guangzhou - 12/11/05

1. Guangzhou skyline
2. Peoples' Park - Communist Party Building
3. Tai Chi Ch'uan in the Peoples' Park
4. Tradition Chinese musical ensemble
5. Audience
6. Sidewalk calligraphy
7. Chris dancing with lively elderly local to a latin beat
8. Oldtimer relaxing
9. Pampering the only child
10. Father and son
11. Chen Family Pavilion entrance
12. Chen Family Pavilion entrance
13. New adoptive American parents of a Chinese baby girl
14. Wanda, Claire and Chris
15. Meeting with NGO - Institute of Contemporary Observation
16. Dr. Liu Kaiming, founder of ICO
17. Valerie, Claire and Dr. Liu

Day 5 in Guangzhou - 12/10/05

1. Our delegation at the Guangzhou Airport
L to R: Chris Martin, Wanda Roach, Valerie Orth, & Darlene Montelongo
2. A Guangzhou neighborhood
3. Jack, our Guangzhou guide at traditional Chinese residence
4. Meeting with NGO, Lighthouse Plan
5. Exchanging gifts
6. Dedicated volunteers of Lighthouse Plan

Day 4 in Shanghai - 12/9/05

1. Visiting YMCA
2. Old Shanghai Town Shopping Mass
3. Kids feeding carp at Yuyuan Gardens
4. Kids feeding carp at Yuyuan Gardens
5. View from Pearl Tower
6. View from Pearl Tower
7. Pearl Tower

Day 3 in Suzhou - 12/8/05

1. Entrance to a famed traditional Suzhou residence, designed
around a pond surrounded by roofed walkways and pavilions.
2. The central garden
3. Our lovely tour guides
4. Silk worms on mullberry leaves
5. Silk cocoons
6. Machine reeling silk thread from cocoons
7. Tour at garment factory, factory manager on the right
8. One of the work rooms in the garment factory

Day 2 in Shanghai - 12/7/05

1. Meeting with NGO - Roots and Shoot
2. Shanghai Urban Planning Center
3. Model of Shanghai
4. Dinner with professor of economics

Day 1 in Shanghai - 12/6/05

On Nanjing Boulevard

I was here in 1987, 18 years ago, when China was just beginning its market economy. There has been tremendous economic growth since then, with a nascent prosperous middle class emerging. At the same time there is a hugh influx of migrant workers from the rural areas supplying an endless low-wage workforce, enabling China to dominate in the marketplace. As transnational corporations move their factories here, less and less is being manufactured in the US. The two economies are intertwined. China exports to the US 200 billion dollars more goods than China imports from US, and the imbalance seems to be growing. And China is supporting our debt by buying US Treasury Notes. There is no doubt China has benefited economically from the global economy, at least in the coastal cities. Things are booming, the old is being rapidly torn down and replaced with skyscrapers. New and old are juxaposed - making for a wonderful mix, but one can't help but wonder how much of its cultural heritage is being lost at the same time.