February 02, 2021
China, the world’s powerhouse in manufacturing goods like apparel, is turning its attention more and more toward high-tech exports. What does this trend mean for the region and the world? And which countries, if any, will fill void? Gordon Hanson explores these issues in a recent National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, “Who Will Fill China s Shoes? The Global Evolution of Labor-Intensive Manufacturing.”
We spoke to Hanson, who is the Peter Wertheim Professor in Urban Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, about China and the shifting global manufacturing landscape.
Q: You explain that China’s share of global exports of products like clothes and shoes may be declining. Why is this the case?