US Representative Ted Yoho on Tuesday last week called on US citizens to boycott Chinese products for human rights, citing Beijing’s oppression of Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet and Taiwan. In a House committee hearing commemorating International Human Rights Day, Yoho correctly pointed out that the oppression only went unanswered because of China’s economic dominance. He noted that “the efficacy of such boycott movements in a globalized supply chain has been widely questioned.”However, some people adopt such a defeatist attitude because the influence of the “red supply chain” has spread across the world. The global supply chain might be dominated by China, but it is not too late to change that. Condemning Chinese bullying of Taiwan and rejecting Chinese attempts to annex the nation are ultimately superficial statements if, at the same time, Taiwan continues to contribute to China’s economic dominance.
