Long known as the world's factory, China is the largest manufacturing
economy ever seen, accounting for more than 10% of global exports. China
is also, of course, home to the largest workforce on the planet, the
crucial element behind its staggering economic success. But who are
China�s workers who keep the machine running, and how is the labor
process changing under economic reform?
Pun Ngai, a leading expert in factory labor in China, charts the rise of
China as a �world workshop� and the emergence of a new labor force in
the context of the post-socialist transformations of the last three
decades. The book analyzes the role of the state and transnational
interests in creating a new migrant workforce deprived of many rights
and social protection. As China increases its output of high-value,
high-tech products, particularly for its own growing domestic market of
middle-class consumers, workers are increasingly voicing their
discontent through strikes and protest, creating new challenges for the
Party-State and the global division of labor.
Blending theory, politics, and real-world examples, this book will be an
invaluable guide for upper-level students and non-specialists interested
in China�s economy and Chinese politics and society.
