Shock, boom, bust: China’s rise and labor politics in Hong Kong and Taiwan, 1984-present

From the late 1980s, China became the dominant economic partner for Hong Kong and Taiwan, driving growth but also causing job losses, stagnating wages, and rising inequality. 

Eli Friedman’s research examines how China’s rise impacted employment and class structures, and the political effects in both regions. He explores how workers, unions, social movements, and political parties responded to these economic shifts. 

By outlining three phases in China’s relationship with Hong Kong and Taiwan, he shows how early market integration led to deindustrialisation, and how the 2008 crisis and youth-led revolt disrupted China’s brief PRC-centric hegemony. 

About the speaker

Eli Friedman is a Professor in Global Labor and Work, Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Chair

• Tim Pringle, Reader in Labour, Social Movements and Development, SOAS University of London

This event is part of the SOAS Global Development Seminar Series, hosted by DevTraC.