The government's efforts to guarantee product quality and food
safety signify that it has taken a serious and responsible attitude
toward quality and safety problems involving exported products and
food.
But neither the close supervision of products and food, nor the
reports by overseas media about the problems with the Made-in-China
label mean that all or even most Chinese-made products are
problematic.
Just as Li Changjiang, director of the General Administration of
Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said yesterday,
most of the problematic toys that have been recalled were
manufactured according to the specifications of the US company
Martell. The toys are indeed unsafe, but it is unfair to assign
blame to Chinese manufacturers alone.
The fact that the manufacturers responsible for the products
with quality problems have already been punished - and some have
even been closed down - speaks volumes about the government's lack
of tolerance for problematic products and unsafe food.
The efforts in different sectors nationwide to ensure product
quality and food safety further signify the resolve of the
government to adhere to the commitment it has made to provide
quality products and safe food to both domestic and overseas
consumers.
The government has taken these steps because product quality and
food safety are of the utmost importance to all consumers. The
government has made a 100 percent effort to deal with the 1 percent
of the goods that have been found to have quality or safety
problems.
The volume of China's exports to Europe, the United States and
other parts of the world grew by a large margin in the first half
of this year, despite the uproar over quality and safety problems,
which suggests that Chinese-made products are well received by
overseas consumers.
The more welcome Chinese-made products are in the international
market, the greater the pressure on the government to ensure the
Made-in-China label is trustworthy.
That explains why a leading group has been set up under the
State Council to coordinate product quality and food safety
efforts. The group will establish a mechanism to supervise and
monitor entire production processes - from the purchase of raw
materials and production to after sales service.
It is hoped that the move will help upgrade the quality of
Made-in-China products. A similar mechanism will also be
established for food production.
(China Daily August 28, 2007)