Engagement is the driving force helping China overcome civil rights problems and comply with international standards of trade, conduct, and law. Engagement allows for the rapid reform of state-owned enterprises and the Westernization of China. However, as long as China utilizes cheap labor, little civil liberties, and poor working conditions, its economy cannot be perceived as other national economies. It is obvious that China's ability to pay some workers roughly fifty cents an hour under terrible conditions has made its economy expand much faster than any other national economy. As a result of China's rapid economic development, means for economic development, and conflicts arising from economic development, the United States must undertake a policy concerning China's economic growth. .
Presently, the Chinese economy boasts the fastest growing market in the world. This can be evidenced in the percent change of the gross national product of China being approximately twice the percent change in the gross national product of the United States. This change has prepared China to join the world economy. Any policy maker not working with China will be excluded from the largest single event in the development of the world economy. .
Yet one must examine why China is becoming economically developed. Major reasons for China's economic development are its use of cheap labor, little civil liberties, and poor working conditions. These conditions are the result of a strategy where financial incentives for local government officials are provided to enliven local economies. Essentially, many local governments now act as if they were the headquarters for local territorial corporations. The pervasive role of officials in local entrepreneurships has nurtured extensive corruption of the political system. Localities often shield corporations from the effective application of environmental and civil rights protection laws because local environmental and civil rights officials are administratively under the thumb of local government officials.
