Posted on 08/02/2014 9:08:10 AM PDT by DeaconBenjamin
An explosion at a factory in China has killed at least 65 people, according to Chinese state media.
Another 150 people were injured in the blast on Saturday morning in Kunshan, a city in the eastern province of Jiangsu near Shanghai.
Workers in the factory were producing parts for cars for US companies including General Motors, state media said.
"We heard the explosion and we were all shocked," a security guard from a nearby factory told Agence France-Presse. He said the blast happened as workers were changing shifts, resulting in higher casualties.
Forty people died at the scene, and more than 20 others died in hospital, Chinese broadcasters said. Medical staff were sent from Shanghai to treat burns victims, according to the People's Daily.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the blast was caused by dust produced as workers polished metal meeting with high temperatures or an open flame, China's ministry of public security said.
"The scene is a mess, it's unrecognisable," a witness at the scene wrote on Sina Weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter.
Chinese state television identified the factory as Zhongrong Plating. Company officials could not be reached for a comment. Its website says it employs 450 workers and counts General Motors and other US companies as clients. No one at General Motors in China was immediately available for comment.
Jiangsu province is on China's coast, where many local and foreign companies have facilities producing goods for export.
Industrial accidents are common in China, where safety standards are often lax. A fire at a poultry plant in the north-east of the country killed 119 people last year. Reports at the time said managers had locked doors inside the factory to prevent workers from going to the toilet, leading to the high death toll.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Is the argument that we’re better off with these explosions killing Chinese rather than Americans?
A very sad situation. There is no excuse for this happening. It is caused by a failure to properly exhaust the dust sized particles created in the manufacturing process. Just one more sign of the failure of the Chinese to provide safe working environments for employees. Also another sign that US companies care little about the working environment of their suppliers’ employees just so long as they can save a buck.
Since Obama gave GM over to the unions, I was expected GM to pull all the jobs back to the USA. /sarc/
I wonder what the percent of a typical GM car, say the Chevy Cobalt was manufactured in China?
I would guess most of it, including 100% of the steel.
I was wondering how long it would take before somebody claimed the US and capitalism was the blame for the accident.
Why are you copying me on your response?
Although I do not believe Chinese codes are as restrictive on Auto-parts manufacturers.
So I don’t believe there is as much protections, for the staff.
But I didn’t post this article.
You’re close. From personal observation (from working in the auto industry), I would peg the parts and materials content coming from china at around 50~60%, with about 30% or so coming from mexico/central/south america. US domestic content is around 10~20% max. That’s across all brands assembled in the continental US. Most of the automakers source their parts from the same suppliers.
Criminally inadequate ventilation. Plant management must have known of the hazard and consciously decided to take the risk to avoid the expense of worker safety. Ain’t cronyism grand.
Looks like the Chicoms are learning this the hard way.
I remember this happened in a Chicago “nightclub”. They chained all the exit doors because they were charging admission at the main entrance. Someone released some pepper spray and the panic got a few trampled to death, or smothered against the front door.
When looking for a new car maybe 10-15 years back I stopped at the Chevy dealer. Looked at the window sticker and it said. Engine built in Brazil. I said to myself boy things sure have changed.
To get a reply, your opinion, on this topic. To better understand you and your thinking. Would it have been better if this were American workers blown up? Should these jobs and the risk associated with them be here, within the borders of the United States?
To tell the truth, I don’t believe American workers would have been blown up.
The risks are (much) more controlled at American manufacturing plants.
They are not absent, but just saying. And we have sent far too much of America’s manufacturing base, to China.
So my opinion is, America should be (far) more aggressive with China on trade.
We need to balance our trade relationship with China.
Balance.
Our trading relationship right now, is all one way.
China is taking over. And to tell the truth, some Americans are helping them.
Some Americans, in both parties.
It was assembled in Tenn, but the transmission came from japan and the motor was made in Mexico.
That doesn't say anything about lesser value components such as interior door panels or the cd player and such
As for this GM sub in China that had the accident, I think GM sells more cars in China than they do in the US, so the sub was probably making parts for a GM auto to be sold in China.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEPCON_disaster
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/apr/19/texas-fertilizer-plant-explosion-government-watchdog
CNN: And we have sent far too much of America’s manufacturing base, to China.
Who is this ‘we’, Kemosabe? Who is this mysterious group sending US manufacturers overseas, particularly to China? Is there a central boss or cabinet making these decisions? Do you mean that the “tax and regulatory regime” when you say “we”?
CNN: We need to balance our trade relationship with China.
Balance. Our trading relationship right now, is all one way.
I appreciate the emphasis, but our trade is balanced and I’ve demonstrated this to you over and over again. We give China US dollars and they give us real, tangible goods. You give your grocer US dollars and he gives you real, tangible goods. Same thing.
CNN: China is taking over. And to tell the truth, some Americans are helping them.
China will grow old before they grow rich. They’re the #2 economy according to some. Does the EU or Japan freak you out as well?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
Keep in mind you have to divide GDP by population to get a per capita number. China’s is quite low. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capita They drop to #83 and the US to #8 ten times higher in rank and 8 times higher in income. China will have to grow its GDP to $128 trillion to be America’s equal per capita. That won’t happen.
FYI, those Americans that are helping send US jobs overseas are Democrats, bureaucrats, and unions. You get that, right?
Anyone can search for CNN’s posts via “cringingnegativismne”
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:cringingnegativismne/index?brevity=full;tab=comments
You’ll note that he never gives policy clarifications, never attacks bad tax or regulatory policy or Democrats/liberals/unions for that matter, but just cut and paste complaints repeated over and over again. He’s a troll for certain or better a mole ala Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. You can decide for yourself.
Was anyone claiming that China was about to pass the US in per capita income? More to the point seems to be the combination of their size, resources and growth funding their becoming a, if not the, dominant world power.
China will never be the dominant world power.
For your edification:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/moneybuilder/2013/11/12/chinas-demographic-collapse/
http://www.indexmundi.com/china/age_structure.html
Now, they’re not our pals. Their culture and totalitarian attitudes make them a threat, but they cannot hurt us without risking a massive economic collapse and the resulting societal turmoil associated with one.
Trade has tied their hands, militarily. Worse, they’re losing the lower end of mfg to other contries in SE Asia. Plus, America is on the verge of a robotics and nanotech breakthrough that will further diminish the power of cheap labor.
Thanks for “edifying” me.
The population demographics will cause problems for some time, but ultimately the population “correction” will help them out.
They think and act long term. Perhaps for all of your edification you can’t see that far.
How long do you think Chinese demographics will cause a problem for China? When do you think their population will correct and what level of reproduction do you consider a correction?
So you think central planners have the upper hand?
Are you aware of the history of central planning?
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