Child Labor in China: Attributing Factors and Possible Solutions

1. Introduction
The child labor problem has long been a human right issue which is worth concerning. According to the International Labor Office (2013), the estimated number of child labor in the globe in 2012 is about 244 million, of which 78 million of them are working in hazardous conditions. As one of the world’s most populous country and the largest exporting economy, China manifests the problem of child labor. This report will first discuss the main factors for which the child labor problem in China are attributed to. It is then followed by suggested actions that policymakers and private enterprises should take to help cope with this worrying problem.

2. Factors Contributing to Child Labor Problem in China
2.1 Lack of Education
To many rural families, the costs of attending school such as tuition fees are unaffordable, and the accessibility to schools in rural China is so low that they have to make long journey to the nearest school (Morley, 2009). In addition, the quality of schooling is not guaranteed in many schools such that parents are deterred from sending their children to schools (Jensen, Nielsen, 1997). With the Chinese traditional belief that sons are more superior to daughters, they would prefer sending their sons to school only even when the families have the ability to send some of their children to school (Morley, 2009). Lacking education in China leads to a spate of children having no alternatives but to participate in the labor force to make financial contribution to their families.

2.2 Rising Costs of Production in China
The reasons for the rising production costs in China are manifold. Ever since the Chinese government practices the “One Child Policy” in 1979, the ageing problem has been worsening. The number of people retiring each year is greater than that of