The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

Local News

December 4, 2009

China's economy concerns Tolson

It could result in the United States ‘looking from behind’

T. J. ROYAL

State Rep. Joe Tolson, D-Edgecombe, expressed his excitement to the Tarboro Rotary Club on Thursday about his recent two-week-long trip to China.

Speaking at The Fountains at The Albemarle, Tolson gave several examples of the rapid growth of China's industrial and urban centers. He said there was the 20-minute drive "in a straight line" through the same industrial park near a southeastern port city. In Shanghai, 1,000 building projects are in active construction stages, with a view from one of them revealing "high-rises as far as the eye can see," the Pinetops native said.

Also, there was the 22-mile-long bridge that extends from the mainland out to sea, specifically for access to a deep sea port.

"I could talk on and on and on about how impressive it was," Tolson said.

He emphasized that Americans who haven't been to the country "would have to see it to believe" the rapid growth taking place within China.

"I think we need to make sure that our people understand what's happening there."

Tolson's excitement over the revelatory China trip was mixed with a genuine concern that China could one day overtake America as the world's top economy. It's in China's interest to be the "leading economy in the world" in the future, and Tolson is convinced that it could result in the United States "looking from behind" as the communist country achieves that goal.

He told the Rotarians that two factors convinced him this can occur. China's people are very eager to learn research techniques from U.S. companies, so they can improve the products they manufacture. They also have a population at 1.3 billion people they can pull their workforce from.

If America can retain its technological advantage over China and the rest of the world, "we'll be in good shape" in the future, he said. "But we're in serious trouble if we don't adapt to the global economy."

The retired Edgecombe Community College administrator added that Americans must learn to deal with people from around the world, if they're to prosper in the more and more globally-connected marketplace.

Building those connections means opportunities for American businesses, he added, as the Chinese are also eager for the "quality, Western" products made here.

Rotary President and Realtor Mary Ann Cumpata asked Tolson whether the Chinese government and businesses would take responsibility for faulty products, like building dry wall, if they are going to so readily accept outside assistance in technology.

Tolson responded that that was one area that concerned him as far as American-Chinese relations go, adding that China's pollution and devalued currency are also aspects that would have to be addressed by the country in the future.

Tolson left for China on Oct. 19 and returned early last month. He was in the country at the same time as Gov. Beverly Perdue, but they were traveling in separate groups, with Tolson staying a week longer. Tolson returns to China in March, traveling with a group of students participating in a science competition in Beijing.

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