The China Effect

Is China where Western companies go to die?People wearing protective face masks walk past a closed Starbucks coffee shop at a grocery in Beijing on Jan. 29, 2020. Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images11/25/2025|Updated: 11/25/2025CommentaryFor decades, drawn by low labor costs and huge consumer opportunities, Western companies moved their manufacturing bases to China. Many made fantastic profits for years from China’s sweatshop labor wages.James Gorrie is the author of the 2013 book “The China Crisis” and discusses current events and China on his YouTube Podcast, The Banana Republican. Author’s Selected Articles