China weathered Trump's tariffs - but the Iran war is taking a toll

China weathered Trump's tariffs - but the Iran war is taking a toll11 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleLaura BickerChina correspondent , Foshan and GuangzhouWatch: How the US-Iran war is costing ChinaIt's a sombre gathering in the backstreets of one of China's biggest manufacturing hubs, where workers are smoking under a tree in front of storefronts advertising temporary factory jobs."No-one understands what our life is like," says one man who is unwilling to be named. "We work and work and have no life. Please help us," another adds - a rare, risky plea to a foreign journalist.They seem desperate, struggling to earn enough to send money home, as they cope with the massive shifts in Chinese manufacturing, from cheap, mass-produced goods to automated advanced tech.And that was even before the US-Israel war with Iran shook the global economy.China's economy was already battling slower growth and unemployment when Donald Trump's tariffs hit last year. Still, it proved resilient, boosting exports and reporting GDP growth of around 5%. But the discontent continued to simmer. And now the Middle East conflict is starting to take a fresh toll, putting pressure on factory orders, costs and jobs.In Foshan, in the southern industrial province of Guangdong, the workers' best opportunity is plastered in bright red lettering in front of them: a few weeks of moulding plastic, or screwing together parts of a mobile phone, for 18 to 20 yuan an hour, which amounts to just a few dollars or pounds."I'm going to try and find work elsewhere," says another worker from a rural province. Most are well over 40 years old, and frustrated at yet more uncertainty.This is one of the reasons Beijing is calling for the war to end.Costfoto / NurPhoto via Getty ImagesChina's manufacturing industry has shifted in recent years, from mass-produced goods to advanced technology (file photo)China's enviable oil reserves...