China earthquake
30 May 2008While it is too early to know the full effects of the massive earthquake that hit China, according to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, even Guangdong - a province well outside the stricken area - is affected. The cities of Guangzhou and Dongguan, both major footwear production centres, are in the province.
Eddie Lam Kwong-tak, a shoe exporter with about 40,000 workers mainly in Guangdong and Shanghai, said many Sichuan migrant workers were so worried about their family members that they could not concentrate on work, which meant a loss of productivity. ‘Many of the workers can't focus on work, and we let them watch the TV to keep up with the latest news', Mr Lam said. ‘We still have about twenty workers who don't know the whereabouts of their folks.' He added that the quake, which destroyed highways and infrastructure, would probably discourage Hong Kong producers from moving their factories from Guangdong to inland regions such as Sichuan. Meanwhile the death toll from the earthquake continues to rise and many people remain missing. Source: APLF news
