By Patrick Whiteley (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-03-14 07:16

Shanghai auto technician Wang Hongjun hammered home the reality of a factory worker's lot in life. The NPC deputy was speaking on behalf of 200 million migrant workers with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek.

"A survey was conducted in Shanghai where interviewees were asked if they wanted to be a factory worker. One percent of all people canvassed said YES," Wang said, raising his voice for dramatic effect. "But I can tell you, only a fraction of that 1 percent are telling the truth."

I've met colorful people like Wang all over China. They are cynical yet warmhearted, plain spoken but smart, and they have razor-sharp wit. And many of them are confined to work in factories.

In the year 2008, during a golden age of scientific advancement, there are better ways for human beings to spend their time mindlessly slapping tags on fluffy toys - 10 hours a day, six days a week.

Wang is a top technician but also represents manual factory workers, who are China's most important natural resource. Their energy is powering China's economic boom, and their muscle is turning the wheel of the world's factory.

But does their unskilled labor give their life meaning? At school, did they tell their friends: "When I grow up I want to work in a factory making socks?" Did you?

Factory work has always been a stepping-stone from farm life to the city and a modern life. It's been happening for centuries, but today, with our space-age technology, it's outdated. Earning 1,200 yuan ($169) per month working in a factory is better than a pittance on a farm, but as Wang points out, it's not a dream career. There should be better ways to earn your rice.

Soon there will be. Many modern factories no longer have production line workers. Robots do the assembly. People just do the monitoring. In this age of technology, in which China is now working smarter and not just harder, why are people still standing in production lines?

But life is cheap in China. So why not continue to exploit the low-cost labor situation and keep the economy growing fast, some entrepreneurs may ask.

But have these businessmen ever labored in a factory?

Tourism, for example, has huge potential and will mushroom after the Olympics. This is just one industry that needs millions more workers. There are many others that require people to connect with people.

I believe the government must continue to create a land of opportunity, and officials must be bold in their vision for a better life for citizens. They must set amazing goals. They must inspire dreams in everyone, especially the hundreds of millions who have yet to fully share in China's new riches.

Why not say to these people: There will be no Chinese working in factories by the year 2050.

I like the NPC because it allows people, even foreigners like me, to offer suggestions. It's the world's biggest think tank and much can come from such brain storming sessions.

Consider the words of another sharp-witted man who had dreams of the unbelievable.

"I believe we possess all the resources and talents necessary," US President John F. Kennedy said in 1961 as he urged his nation's Congress to spend billions of dollars to put a man on the moon.

"No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish," he said.

My suggestion to NPC leaders is to believe the unbelievable.

Reach for the stars.

The author is a senior editor with China Daily

(China Daily 03/14/2008 page7)