Assembly Required

China’s masses of production

Photograph: Michael Wolf

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


Chinese factory workers

“Since 1979, when Deng Xiaoping unleashed capitalism on his vast but introverted nation,” the Financial Times noted recently, “China has conquered the world not with its armies but with its factories.” A legion of low-cost workers is driving the country’s staggering economic growth and transforming the global economy.

Hong Kong-based photographer Michael Wolf has spent the last 10 years documenting mainland China and its workers. Wolf aims to show the human presence behind the masses of Barbies, bobbleheads, and other made-in-China bric-a-brac that the world consumes each day–and to shine a light on the practices of the country’s industrial workplaces. Those factories are notorious for Dickensian conditions. But Wolf’s photos expose China’s other secrets of productivity, such as the heavy regimentation that marches employees onto the factory floor like an invading army with each new shift.

The facility pictured here manufactures industrial air conditioners. “I was trying to capture the feeling of discipline and mass,” Wolf says. “This is a very successful, privately run company, and the CEO places great value on discipline and order.”

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate