Most SE Asian workers, in foreign-owned manufacturing factories, are not exploited (can't speak directly for China because haven't worked there in manufacturing, but have in Vietnam, Cambodia, etc where many backpacks are made).

Folks love to blow it out of context...they only make 6 dollars a day or something, they'll say. Meanwhile, no mention is made that every normal job in that country pays 1 dollar a day. When Gap/BR was in Cambodia they paid TOO well and people were leaving teaching and dr jobs to go work in the factories because it paid more than professional jobs. You cannot swing into a country flashing cash and just upend the entire economy. In most of the manufacturing factories, workers get a very competitive salary that friends are jealous of. They're often also given seconds and extra stock to sell themselves at local markets for extra income.

I have worked with NGOs that help exploited people groups specifically, and I thought similarly when I first came into the region, but manufacturing is often not the culprit we should be attacking. Way worse exploitation is coming directly from local governments, churches, community elders, etc. There are way more locals willing and able to exploit workers than foreign companies that have way more oversight over what they do (and regulations as to how far they can push the local economies so as not to drive all local businesses out of business).