Beijing Scolds U.S. On Quality Control

The Wall Street Journal ^ | October 9, 2007 | By Nicholas Zamiska

[JACKRUSSELL]

(BEIJING) -- The Chinese government, after scrambling to counter a storm of criticism over the safety of the nation's exports, is now taking aim at some of America's largest companies over products sent to China......

......These products include turbines from General Electric Co., ultrasound machines from a U.S. unit of Philips Electronics NV, of the Netherlands, and farm machinery from Deere & Co......

......In some cases, it was difficult to determine the exact nature of the defects from documents Mr. Li provided......

......many of the problems with the U.S. products cited seemed less dangerous than some of the tainted Chinese exports that have surfaced this year, at least in the examples provided by Mr. Li. The problems also didn't reflect the active adulteration that has marked some of the Chinese export cases, in which factory owners have substituted chemicals in components of drugs and pet food to save money......

.....Mr. Li's list also cited shipments of more than 430 Hummer trucks, models H2 and H3, manufactured by General Motors Corp. of Detroit, Michigan, and imported into China by unknown third-party suppliers that Mr. Li's office says didn't meet Chinese safety requirements. "The shape of the front, large headlights don't have clear-cut boundaries between bright and dark" so that "when two cars are driving toward each other, it could have a negative influence on the driver's vision, to cause dazzling," according to Aqsiq. The government cited problems with other, smaller amber-colored lights on the vehicles as well as markings on the speedometer that didn't meet Chinese standards. "These Hummers were not manufactured according to Chinese standards, so there are serious hidden dangers to use these automobiles on Chinese roads," according to a written statement provided by Mr. Li's agency.

GM doesn't import or sell Hummer trucks in China......

[Will88]

Just send the Mattel guy back over there to apologize for this stuff, too. He’s learned how to do business with the Chinese.

[Ramius]

Pretty much.

God love the free market. China still has a lesson or two to learn the hard way... But those lessons will be learned. One way or another.

[ikka]

Chinese response: "No, you're a towel"

[DB]

The only safe vehicle with a Chinese driver on a Chinese road is one with the gas peddle removed.

[Caipirabob]

Hilarious. Now that’s the pot calling the kettle a pot. My greatest joy will be when the Chinese attempt a financial attack, only to realize that we are the only fools who are ordering their crap...and now we can’t order any more.

I have to differ. Chinese goods are everywhere, thus the reports of people in various South/Central American nations dying from toothpaste contamination and such. In addition, the Europeans have been complaining more recently about the Chinese controlling the ROE of their Yuan vs the Euro. The trade inbalance is hitting them hard. There's an article here this morning somewhere.

Cheers!