Summary

Brazilian authorities uncovered “slavery-like” conditions at BYD’s factory construction site in Bahia, rescuing 163 Chinese workers subjected to withheld passports, withheld wages, and unsanitary conditions.

The site, managed by contractor Jinjiang Group, was shut down, and BYD faces scrutiny despite its promises to cooperate.

The case highlights tensions between Chinese investment and local labor standards, sparking debates in Brazil and China over worker rights.

Experts see this as an example for Chinese investors to respect Brazil’s independent judiciary while noting it won’t deter future Chinese investments.

  • @Eldritch
    link
    English
    61 day ago

    This doesn’t expose anything new. We’ve known this for decades. If they have a problem with this sort of behavior. They need to not do business with brutal, oppressive systems and government like China. But of course it won’t stop them in the long run. Like it never stopped western nations from trying to benefit from the exploitation either.

      • @Eldritch
        link
        English
        31 hour ago

        And? Maybe we shouldn’t. Maybe no one should be dependent on one country like that. Especially authoritarian ones.

          • @Eldritch
            link
            English
            133 minutes ago

            True. But if something is worth doing it shouldn’t matter if it’s hard. We should still try.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      -151 day ago

      You say that as if Western nations aren’t themselves brutal, oppressive and exploitative.

          • Flying SquidM
            link
            English
            35 hours ago

            It sure as hell looks like that’s what you did.

              • Flying SquidM
                link
                English
                3
                edit-2
                5 hours ago

                Okay.

                You say that as if Western nations aren’t themselves brutal, oppressive and exploitative.

                Still looks like “What about the Western nations? No one is completely blameless.” To me.

                • @[email protected]
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  0
                  edit-2
                  4 hours ago

                  “What about the Western nations? No one is completely blameless.”

                  That would only make sense if I had introduced the concept of Western nations. OP did that, not me.

                  Maybe re-read not just what I wrote, but the whole thread.

                  • Flying SquidM
                    link
                    English
                    04 hours ago

                    Okay, I’ve re-read the thread.

                    It still looks like you’re both engaging in whataboutism to me. You still haven’t explained how this is not implying that no one is completely blameless, making the argument invalid.

      • @Eldritch
        link
        English
        8
        edit-2
        1 day ago

        That’s only because you’re putting words in my mouth. That was literally the point. We’ve just outsourced the brutally. And just because the West used brutality and slavery does not justify China doing it now.

        Either way I’m going to get it from both sides. Tankies screaming about China criticism. Capitalist upset about criticizing the west.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          23 hours ago

          Precisely because the west used brutality and slavery and essentially tried to colonize/puppet the entire world is PRECISELY why nobody should give a shit what the west says. How many democratic nations have you couped for you resource exploitation, how many millions have died under so called “American led world peace” just this century alone? You don’t need to be a tankie to criticise the west wholesale slaughtering and justifying continuous wars in the middle east, and south America. Just need be a human with a functional brain and empathy

        • @IndustryStandard
          link
          English
          4
          edit-2
          19 hours ago

          So to clarify your position, you also advocate for countries not doing business with the West

          • @Eldritch
            link
            English
            14 hours ago

            Where the west behaves similarly, absolutely. It would be hypocritical not to.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          -9
          edit-2
          21 hours ago

          That was literally the point.

          You’ve misunderstood.

          the West used brutality

          I’m saying Western nations use brutality now.

          both sides. Tankies … Capitalist

          Don’t put me in a box.

          • @Maalus
            link
            English
            18 hours ago

            There are more countries than “the US”. Not everyone has fucked up work laws, especially in Europe.

              • @Maalus
                link
                English
                11 hour ago

                Yeah you said “west is fucked up when working” when in reality it is “the US”

          • @ManixT
            link
            English
            816 hours ago

            Could you pleaae share some recent examples of similar western behavior like this?

          • @Eldritch
            link
            English
            419 hours ago

            So was I. And I didn’t. Simply mentioned the hypocrisy of both groups. Again, you’re making assumptions.

            • @[email protected]
              link
              fedilink
              English
              -1
              edit-2
              5 hours ago

              So was I … Simply mentioned the hypocrisy of both groups

              You said:

              “They need to not do business with brutal, oppressive systems and government like China.”

              Here you’re stating that China is a brutal, oppresive system and government. Saying that “they” (Western nations) need to not do business with “brutal, oppressive systems” implies that the Western nations are not themselves brutal and oppressive.

              You also said

              “Like it never stopped western nations from trying to benefit from the exploitation either.”

              and used the word “stopped” which is past tense, meaning that Western nations’ benefitting from exploitation of their population is something which happened in the past and is not something which is still happening now.

              You also said

              “just because the West used brutality and slavery does not justify China doing it now.”

              and used the word “used” which is past tense and even said “China doing it now”, clearly contrasting a (supposedly) past behaviour of the West with a current behaviour of China.

              • @[email protected]
                link
                fedilink
                English
                13 hours ago

                No idea why you’re getting downvoted until I saw it was lemmy.world This place time and again proves to be where all the western Reddit refugees with all the stupidity but none of the nuance old Reddit had.