Do we have any right to lecture China?

By Mohammed M-Hasan on Apr 15, 08 06:31 PM in Economics

Before I begin, I apologise for my inexcusable absence, a combination of too many ideas, not enough time and IT incompetence on my part. However, hopefully I will have learnt from the experience...unlikely!

China, China, China. I have never been and would like to, it seems a lovely place, or at the very least interesting after the latest report on pollution in Beijing.

With the Olympics, they suddenly seem to have become the country to be talked about. Whether it is pollution, human rights, sports, foreign investment, China is the country we want to talk about.

Or do we? Well you answer that question for me...but here are a few of my musings on the subject.

Specifically, one: do we have the right to lecture the Chinese on pollution?

Answer 1: yes we do because if they want to be a part of the world economy then they must play by the rules.

Answer 2: No, because they are only catching up with the rest of the world and developed economies (in all parts of the world) have no right to deny emerging economies the same rights.

And although I have never heard of Answer 3, here it is: We have no right to tell China to clean up its act because: for the past ten years and in actual fact many more, we have been more than happy to buy cheap clothes, shoes, components, etc. etc. as well as ship our rubbish to them to sort through.

If they have become the largest polluters on earth (and on a per capita basis are no way near the top), we have been happy accomplices in that process.

Now how do I reconcile this answer with my belief that we all have a responsibility to care of mother earth.... I told you I had not learnt much. Excuse me while I go and muse further and in the meantime why don't you type a bit...

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Paul Groves said:

It is probably a combination of all three answers - how's that for hedging my bets? Not just sitting on the fence, but setting up base camp.
That is the problem though. There is no simple solution.
Yes, we do have a right to lecture. Yes, the Chinese do have a right to counter our arguments by pointing out they are merely playing catch-up. And yes, we are as much to blame for helping the Chinese economy grow so rapidly by gleefully snapping up all the bargain products they make.
It is the age-old problem of self-interest. Changing attitudes on a global scale is quite a challenge. That won't start to happen until we get everyone singing from the same hymn sheet - a good starting point would be an agreement that climate change exists. Then we can start to move on to the issues of self-interest.
Save the planet?
Yeah, OK, but what is in it for me?

April 15, 2008 7:39 PM