In the American Congress, every other day, bills are pouring in to punish China, guilty of maintaining an undervalued currency and therefore of competing unfairly with American producers, thus destroying jobs in the United States. And of course, the American unions support these proposals, at the forefront of denouncing the misdeeds of the Chinese competition.
All the more surprising, therefore, that a US trade union - the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) - awarded Chinese premier Wen Jiabao the "Best Friend of American Worker" award in appreciation of the China's contribution to job growth in America. And it is not, as it might seem at first glance, a bitter and ironic gesture. No, the award and the motivations are authentic, and the papyrus was presented in Boston to the Chinese ambassador Zhang Jesui representing the prime minister.
The handover ceremony coincided with the 10th anniversary of the first docking of a Cosco (China Ocean Shipping Company) freighter at the port of Boston. And from this you can guess the reasons for the award. China has flooded America with its goods, these goods arrive by ship, and when they arrive, someone (precisely, the 'longshoremen') has to unload them. Hence the great Chinese contribution to the growth of employment in the 'transport and distribution' segment of the American economy. It is not clear whether the other unions agree, but in the meantime it is good to note and remember that in the long run, freedom of trade is a game in which everyone wins.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-03/03/content_14748131.htm
