Background
Shanxi is located in the Loess Plateau in northern China which is known for its rich clay deposits which are easier and cheaper to mine than coal. Through corrupt relationships with officials, slave "bosses" opened illegal brickyards. Due to scarcity of labor in Shanxi, some factories outsourced production to middlemen who recruited workers from other provinces, making huge profits for the bosses. For example, it was reported that Wang Bingbing, the owner of a brickyard located in Hongdong County, Linfen, is the son of Wang Dongyi, a secretary of a CCP branch. The owner outsourced the brickyard to Heng Tinghan from Henan. The brickyard produces 10,000 bricks per day. The market price of 10,000 bricks is about 2,000 to 3,000 yuan; the owner, however, paid only 360 yuan to Heng per 10,000 bricks produced.
Read more about this topic: 2007 Chinese Slave Scandal
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