Hong Kong Design and the Roots of Sino-American Trade Disputes

This article draws parallels between recent Sino-American trade disputes and the course of the United States' economic involvement in Hong Kong during the 1950s. The twists and turns of a Cold War policy that first prevented, then promoted, and finally controlled Hong Kong domestic exports is traced through visits by Vice President Nixon and the designer Russell Wright. American influence on Hong Kong industrialists, traders, and designers is also followed up to reveal how policies were translated into products. It is suggested that the American reaction against Hong Kong imports during the late 1950s—the outcries over “Red†profits, “sweated labor,†and “imitation†—foreshadowed more recent fears of Asian economic hegemony, human rights abuse, and intellectual property violations. The article concludes that America's management of Hong Kong's export industries through flexible production and diversified design suggests a way through current disputes, following consumer demand for less standardized, more individualized designs.