cristinagarafola:

Thought unpaid internships were only a problem in the U.S.?  Unsurprisingly, they also have them in China (although some are paid as well).  Read more at the link; here’s a short excerpt below:

Wang Zhong, a lawyer specializing in labor law at the Shanghai branch of the Zhong Yin Law Firm, said there is nothing illegal in companies not paying interns and the recently introduced minimum wage does not apply in this case.

“The labor law is not applicable to interns. An employee-employer relationship between the intern and the company does not exist, not even as a factual labor relationship. The intern’s status is still that of a student, not a worker. In that sense, it is totally rational that the company need not offer any payment,” said Wang.

“Universities usually pay large sums every year to persuade companies and institutions to take their students as interns. The experience gained through the placement and the opportunity to enter society at an earlier age constitute a different form of payment,” he said.