I don't support the proposition of China lowering the labor cost to save its "status" as the manufacturing world's workshop.

It's been three decades since Deng Xiaoping announced the establishment of China's first special economic zone, Shenzhen. It's time the Chinese government improved workers' livelihoods and granted them benefits for three decades of hard work.

It's also time Chinese factories upgraded their production facilities and methods, improved their working conditions and shouldered their responsibilities in regard to communities, the country and the environment.

Moreover, increasing Chinese workers' wages will not drive manufacturing industries back to the United States. I don't believe the jobs lost in China would be recreated in the US. At most, some sectors like the textile industry may shift to other developing countries such as Vietnam, instead of the US.

The complete and mature supply chain, and the skills and commitment of the Chinese workers are the reasons why made-in-China products are so competitive.

So it's time not only for China, but also the US to transform their development patterns and relocate their positions in the global market.

Zhang Yaming, via e-mail

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(China Daily 11/15/2011 page9)