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BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- While finger-pointing about job losses has been rife on Capitol Hill, blame-thy-neighbor rhetoric has been noticeably absent in the Great Hall of the People.
In his first address to Congress, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the United States has "lost 60,000 factories" since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.
Yet China is also experiencing factory losses. The so-called "world's factory" is shedding manufacturing jobs, not just to lower-cost regions such as Southeast Asia, but also to higher-end economies. Indeed, one of the hottest economic topics in China is the loss of jobs to the United States.
Cao Dewang, who runs China's leading glass manufacturing business, was recently thrust into a media storm after he complained of high business costs in his homeland and announced a billion-dollar investment in the United States.
A fierce debate ensued, with various reports and opinions circulating about Cao and China's business environment. Still, almost none blamed Uncle Sam for being attractive and business-friendly and luring Cao's investment away.
To be sure, many factories and jobs have been and will continue to be created in the United States through Chinese investment. According to a report by the U.S.-China Business Council cited by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, trade and investment between China and the United States created about 2.6 million jobs for the latter in 2015.
However, China is not in the habit of finger-pointing for "stealing jobs."
Cao, a senior political advisor, will no doubt face more questions about manufacturing jobs in China and America when he attends the annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee (CPPCC) -- China's top political advisory body -- that will open in Beijing Friday.
But you won't hear slogans like "Buy Chinese, Hire Chinese" at the CPPCC session, nor that of National People's Congress, which will open Sunday.
Instead, there will be remarks like those made by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January.
"We are not jealous of others' success; and we will not complain about others who have benefited so much from the great opportunities presented by China's development.
"We will open our arms to the people of other countries and welcome them aboard the express train of China's development."
