1. Comment on three unethical practices that china has been accused, do you think that these practices were necessary for china’s economic survival?

China has been accused of various unethical practices in a host of industries. Overall, Chinese business ethics are built on the basis of "guanxi," a fundamental principle and practice underlying the whole of the Chinese social fabric. Guanxi places relationships and the moral obligations flowing from those relationships above other considerations, including written law. It not only is accepted in China, it is regarded as a moral obligation that people who have known each other for an extended period of time and have collaborated and helped each other are obligated to continue this relationship. Guanxi defines both how business is done in China at all levels and how the Chinese view ethics.
Corruption and Bribery – In Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perception Index 2011, China is ranked 75th out of 185 countries. This has been a consistent score since 2008. The TI Global Corruption Barometer 2010/2011 found that 46% of the 1,000 Chinese respondents felt that the level of corruption in the Country had increased and just over a third considered the Government’s actions ineffective in combating corruption. When respondents were asked “To what extent do you perceive the following institutions in this country to be affected by corruption?”, business was seen as the most corrupt institution, closely followed by political bodies and public officials. Whilst bribery is highly prevalent in all sectors in China, it is particularly common in sectors such as construction (driven by rapid economic development and massive urban expansion and the high number of government-funded construction projects), the extractive industry and textile manufacturing (falsification of factory audits is common). Other recent corruption scandals have focused on the NGO sector with NGO officials using donations to afford luxury lifestyles for themselves rather than the donations going to the causes they were intended for.
Human Rights - Human rights remains a controversial topic in China with a focus on issues such as labour standards in the supply chain, child labour, human trafficking, civil and political rights. High profile scandals have included the spate of suicides in the Foxconn factory in the Shenzhen province over poor factory working conditions in 2010-2012, child labour among Nike suppliers in the 1990s and the arrest of human rights activists. Recent research by China Labour Watch found that working conditions were “deplorable" across Apple’s Chinese suppliers; the key issues being excessive working hours, low wages, overcrowded/dirty dormitories, hazardous working conditions, inadequate trade unions, excessive use of agency labour, poor food and routine cheating of overtime pay.
I do not believe these practices were necessary for Chinas survival. Relationships should be valued in business but not at the expense of breaking the laws. What is considered unacceptable practice in a Western context because core principles would be violated, may be acceptable in another because those core principles would not be violated. It is important for companies entering the Chinese market to bear cultural traits in mind when rolling out ethics programs and training accordingly.

2. Do you think trade with china is benefitting or crippling the US and the Caribbean?

Trade with China and the United States and Caribbean has been beneficial to all parties. In the 36 years since China and the United States established diplomatic ties, China-U.S. commercial relations started from scratch and took off. Last year, bilateral trade in goods hit $555.1 billion, up 227-fold since diplomatic relations were forged and reflecting the integration of China’s economy with the world economy. Just three hours after China and the U.S. established diplomatic relations in 1979, Coca-Cola announced its entry into the Chinese market, bringing a whole new experience to tea-drinking Chinese consumers and introducing them to modern marketing based on the value of brand. Gradually breaking into the Chinese market, Coca-Cola won the hearts of Chinese consumers. In the following three decades, drink makers from the two countries have cooperated and competed extensively in the Chinese market.
Textiles used to be an important Chinese export to the U.S. From cloth to garments, from street vendors to shopping malls, from processing to design, China’s textile business has come a long way. Many U.S.-branded garments were made in China and exported to the U.S., where they found their way department stores such as Macy’s. Now, many brands like GAP and Nike are opening chain stores in China, while many Chinese clothing companies are attracted to the U.S. for design ideas and talents.
In recent years, the number of Chinese enterprises investing in the U.S. has risen rapidly, while numerous cases attest to the mutual benefits. Over the last four decades, for example, Wanxiang Group has grown from a small workshop for agricultural machinery into a big business with global presence. Since its entry into the U.S. market, Wanxiang has successively acquired more than 20 companies and saved over 10 manufacturing factories that had been on the verge of bankruptcy. Altogether it hired 12,500 people in the U.S. Today, one out of every three cars produced in North America uses parts and components that are made by Wanxiang America Inc.

3. China has been accused of “currency manipulation “by both the republican and democratic party, what does that mean? Also should china raise the value of its currency?
Currency manipulation is a monetary tool applied by central banks. It occurs when a government buys or sells foreign currency to push the exchange rate of its own currency away from equilibrium value or to prevent the exchange rate from moving toward its equilibrium value. By devaluing its currency, China has caused its exports to become cheaper for other nations and has enabled itself to undercut its competitors. These actions have also affected the price of imports from other countries, causing them to become more expensive. The high-priced imports have made it hard for other nations to compete in China, which has ultimately stimulated business for local Chinese companies and negatively impacted countries like the US.
In the broadest sense, every country with a functioning central bank, including the US (Federal Reserve System) is a currency manipulator. The duty of a central bank is to manage/manipulate the value of its nation’s currency by expanding or contracting the money supply, as appropriate for national policy. China also uses its central bank, the People’s Bank of China, to manage the yuan and would be lax if it did not do this.