A report in Austria's Die Presse newspaper Monday accused China of exporting cheap labor to Greenland to exploit Arctic resources. It was reported that a $2.3 billion iron ore development project headed by British company London Mining and its Chinese partner plans to hire 3,000 Chinese workers, who allegedly will work 60 hours a week for a salary far lower than the local standard.

Greenland, a self-governing state within the Kingdom of Denmark located between the Arctic and the Atlantic Ocean, has attracted interest in recent years because of its rich mineral deposits. A few days ago, it passed legislation that allows for the employment of foreign workers in large-scale projects and regulates the minimum hourly wage of foreign workers as being far below that of local counterparts. The law was criticized as paving the way for Chinese companies to "exploit" Greenland's resources with cheaper imported labor.

The major concern for local residents is that their self-sufficient, slow and relaxed lifestyle which relies on fishing and government subsidies may suffer if competitive Chinese workers flow in. But with just 57,000 Greenlanders, the country lacks capital and skilled workers to develop its abundant resources.

It's also not certain whether locals are willing to get involved in mine work given its environmental and health effects. Employing Chinese workers in an underground coal mine at Canada's Murray River Coalfield has generated a lot of controversy over the past few months. Despite there being a skilled mining workforce, it was exposed by media reports that a great many Canadian workers are not interested in working in the Murray River, and are unwilling to work underground or relocate their families.

In recent years, it has been common for Chinese workers employed overseas to be demonized. They are portrayed as money-making machines who ruin fair competition. People in countries like Spain and Italy are even antagonistic toward Chinese employees working overtime.

But notably, it's often those countries that are suffering from the "high-welfare dilemma" and still struggling with debt crises.

Accusations of China exporting cheaper labor reflect different approaches to work held by China and some other countries. But worryingly, Western public opinion usually taints the issue with political aspects, instigating local antagonism toward Chinese.

Globalization has benefited many areas, but it has also made competition fiercer as capital seeks the lowest costs. National boundaries are no longer a fence that protects local labor forces. With the huge gap in working styles between Chinese workforces and their foreign peers, this will be a long-term issue and a dilemma China has to face in the long run.