China says ‘over 99% of exports’ safe ...(The 1% must be the food we consume)

Financial Times ^ | August 2 2007 | Geoff Dyer, Eoin Callan

[IrishMike]

China on Thursday strongly defended the quality of its exports and said it would work with the US to improve product safety in the wake of another substantial recall of goods made in China.

Mattel is recalling 1.5m toys worldwide, including replicas of popular children’s television characters such as Elmo, Dora and Big Bird, because they use paint that contains too much lead, the biggest such problem to face the US toy-maker in more than a decade.

The high-profile toy recall is the latest in a string of problems to face China-made goods in the US, ranging from contaminated pet food that was linked to the death of thousands of cats and dogs to toothpaste laced with industrial chemicals. Earlier this year, 1.5m Thomas the Tank Engine toys were recalled in the US because of excessive use of lead paint.

In the face of a growing crisis of confidence in Chinese goods, Bo Xilai, Commerce Minister, said that “over 99 per cent of China’s export products are good and safe”. In comments published on Thursday on the ministry’s website, “We hope that all parties can treat Chinese products objectively, fairly and rationally. Don’t let this damage the normal development of trade.”

In recent weeks, China has launched a co-ordinated public relations drive to try and show that it is taking seriously criticisms of the quality of its goods, however it has also attacked foreign media for exaggerating the safety risks.

An official at China’s main product safety watchdog said on Thursday the government would work with the US to improve safety. “We want to co-operate with other countries including the US,” said Wei Chuanzhong, an official with the General Administration for Quality Supervision. However, he added: “We also do not agree with playing up the situation regardless of the facts.”

[Abathar]

Considering the volume they are exporting are they idiots for saying this??

1% of the billions upon billions they put out every month adds up to a whole buttload of dangerous stuff...

[Cyclone59]

Let us not forget that their petfood ingredients went after our pets earlier this year.

[Red Badger]

Let’s see. If I buy 1,000,000 cans of sliced water chestnuts, then only 10,000 of them have botulism.............

[Gay State Conservative]

I've been to China...twice.I certainly didn't see the whole country but what I did see (the area within a couple of hundred miles of Hong Kong) was filthy,filthy,filthy dirty.

I wouldn't trust anything meant for human or animal consumption originating from *any* part of the country.

[Justmay]

This article is worth a read. It’s related, about quality problems coming out of China. Title of article is ‘quality fade’.

http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/2007/07/26/china-manufacturing-quality-ent-manage-cx_kw_0726whartonchina.html

[RC2]

Throw enough crap out into the world and some if it sticks. Just like our politicians. Who’s getting the kick back from China shipping all that stuff into our country? We don’t need them and I won’t buy Chinese anything unless I have not choice. Wouldn’t buy their food under any circumstances. Look at it this way......would you take a chance on their food for your children or grandchildren?

[poobear]

“We also do not agree with playing up the situation regardless of the facts.”

So, be good little commies and sheeple of the world and keep your mouths shut!... Regardless of the FACTS!!!

[IrishMike]

Asia’s brown clouds ‘warm planet’
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6926597.stm

[Old_Mil]

Smart, patriotic consumers have been boycotting Chinese products for a long time. Now, even self-interested globalists have an excuse to make the right decision.

[IrishMike]

....regardless of the facts

That is a classic, speech writer for Hillary ?

[Abathar]

I am living with the quality problems coming out of China, at least in the rubber industry. Parts have no QC, work has been going over there for years, but my customers are getting so sick of dealing with the quality issues that they are bringing it back here.

My industry is a dieing one, not being 5' tall, slanty eyed and working for a dollar a day is killing it here in the states.

[tflabo]

Bo Xilai, Commerce Minister, said that “over 99 per cent of China’s export products are good and safe”.

Minus chemical laced toothpaste, dog food, blowout tires, sewage bred seafood plus cardboard pastries etc... plus China executed it's agricultural minister? Otherwise good and safe...BARF.

[fieldmarshaldj]

See, always got to look on the bright side.

[VeniVidiVici]

China introduced new safety standards for toys in 2003 which limited the proportion of lead used in paint to less than 0.01 per cent.

That worked real well.

[poobear]

“That is a classic, speech writer for Hillary ?”

Speech writer straight from the reeducation camps! Ask Karl, Fidel and our newest Chomsky worshiper Hugo!

[Diogenesis]

"Wow. Chinese technology. Melamine-laced albumin,
lead-painted children's toys, dioxin-flavored ice cream,
human food from dog's you-know-what, unstable blowoutable tires,
garbage and feces-fed seafood, melamine-dog food,
dioxin- and melamine-filled vitamins!!!!
polyethylene glycol-flavored toothpaste!!!
cardboard-asbestos filled buns!!!!!!
embalming-fluid filled candies and pastries!
Is there ANYTHING the Chinese can't do (or ship to other countries)?"

[Geritol]

1%.. that is like 7.2 hours a month. If our water system told us that for 7 hours a month, they can not tell us which, the water will contain an undetectable poison, I think we would all stop using the water. Even 15 random minutes a month. Or 15 seconds.

(ignoring for the moment the whole fluoride and chlorine debates, etc.)

I think China displays their complete lack of comprehension of our view of life. Be dependable or be gone. Be trustworthy or be our enemy. Value our life or we will not value yours. Poison just one of our children and live in fear.

[Greg F]

You guys are missing the importance of this story. 1 million toys have been recalled because they have too much lead in them. Lead = brain damage for children. This is the worst recall from China yet.

[Froufrou]

There were FReepers whose beloved pets died. Why on earth should we have any Chinese import food?