Looking for the bright side of the China syndrome : rising export opportunities and life satisfaction in China

China's increased export capacity in recent decades has disrupted developed-country labor markets and the wellbeing of workers exposed to foreign competition. We here attempt to complete the assessment of the social and human consequences of globalization by exploring the other side of this ''China syndrome''. We evaluate the extent to which increased export opportunities have influenced well-being in China using panel data on approximately 25,000 adults across 122 Chinese localities in 2010, 2012 and 2014. The results show that perceived life satisfaction rises significantly as local export markets grow. This effect goes beyond higher local GDP per capita and individual incomes.