China-Australia free trade agreement: new icing on an old cake: an opportunity for fair trade?

The on-going challenge in economic development and globalization, particularly for developing countries, is the issue of development and equality in society. The issue becomes particularly problematic when confronted in matters of international trade. Often misnamed anti-globalization activists and pro-globalization activists fail to take note of the underlying assumptions that lead them to conflict - namely, the actual costs and benefits to society that result from their particular positions. In essence, both activists are searching for ways to improve the lives of people in the domestic context and to minimize the damage to their society and environment. China's impressive economic record is threatened to some extent by the increasing inequality in Chinese society and the enormous environmental costs of its economic growth. The Fair Trade movement seeks to address these larger and ultimately more important issues by changing the trade concerns from their narrow, traditional and highly questionable economic rationalist presuppositions to the broader societal implications of increased trade. This paper will address these broader issues, crucial for China's stability, and offer a model for Fair Trade