Greed, laxity and poverty combine to exploit children

A video clip that went viral on the internet recently has revealed the widespread use of child labor in Changshu, East China's Jiangsu province, and the shocking conditions they work in.

In this city known for its garment industry - it boasts more than 1,000 factories and billions of yuan in annual output - children aged below 16 are toiling at sewing machines at least 15 hours a day, 28 days a month, earning a meager monthly income of a little more than 1,000 yuan ($144), according to the subsequent media reports.

With their ID cards taken away by the factory owners so they cannot flee, the children are basically prisoners. Sometimes the children are physically abused by their bosses to make them "work harder".