You’re right, and I would go even further-— South Africa was more than a nominal ally-— it was a very solid ally, whereas China is anything but.
My point was simply that the arguments the AFL-CIO make based upon the welfare of the Chinese worker are disingenuous.
Trade sanctions such as Duncan Hunter and Frank Gaffney support, based to the the extent that they are upon American national security considerations, address a different, and as you say, more immediate set of concerns.
You hit the nail on the head.