Why can't China get it together?

Question

In the past year we've heard about SO many exports from China found to be harmful. Why can't they seem to fix this problem? Is it a lack of morality, or inefficiency? When people's lives are at risk, it seems that changes should be implemented much faster.

There's been melamine tainted pet food, toothpaste containing diethelene glycol (antifreeze), children's toys with lead paint... and more lead tainted toys recalled yesterday. Who else is angered by this?

To add, I personally only buy essentials and have not been affected by this problem. (I hate shopping, anyway.) I tend to lean towards minimalism in material goods, but this still concerns me. How long is it going to be before there's a more massive and widespread poisioning?

Answer 1

China has put it on the fast track to fix these problems. They are very pro-active. Prosecuting, jailing, fining, shutting down factories, inspecting, etc. In one case, a high ranking public official who accepted bribes by approving drugs he knew that was very dangerous which resulted in deaths, was executed a few months back. I'd say, if lets say, the head of the FDA was guilty of the same thing, that he'd be executed as well.

China is very well aware of their image in the world. In due time all of this will be forgotten as this problem subsides.

China is also very good at learning from their own mistakes and are not likely to repeat them.

Also, you have to realize two things. One, manufacturers are under intense pressure from overseas manufactures to cut costs and those overseas businesses do not have the proper oversite to make sure the products stand up to scrutiny, and two, China is fairly new in the international business world and is bound to make mistakes. Even the USA is guilty of making egregious errors that are just as bad as China.

What most people know of China would fit in a thimble, what most people think they know would fit in a barrel.

China is little of what most people think and much of what you want her to be.

I know, I'm an ex pat from the USA living in the heart of China.

Peace

Jim

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Answer 2

Whoa, hold it, to be fair, China did make these toys but they were made in accordance to specifications and samples supplied by the buyers like Mattel and other well known brands. If any goods imported from China were not upto Buyers' requirements they will be promptly rejected and sent back. If a person got hit by a car, would you blame the manufacturer of the car or the driver ? Its that simple actually.

Answer 3

Manufacturing in China is done by much smaller companies as compared to the west. Competition is fierce between them. Corporations such as Walmart demand price concessions every year.

Because of this, there is tremendous pressure on these Chinese companies to cut corners.

Want it to stop. Start looking for quality and stop buying crap.

Really do you need 1/2 the crap you buy at Walmart, Kmart, Target, etc. anyway???

Answer 4

Well when you pay your employees equivalent to 5 cents an hour... They simply do not care.

I am disappointed that parents are still buying those plastic crap toys from China. This is a definite missed opportunity by the US citizens, we should stand together and have more Americans make products for our own people.

Answer 5

I have recently come to the conclusion that the corporations here set up the situation that forced manufacturers to move to various parts of the world and that China has found a way to strike at us economically without having to shoot even one gun. In short, China is doing this *on purpose*.

I try to avoid WalMart (their predatory practices and horrible treatment of suppliers are notorious) and products made in China whenever I can, even if I have to do without something for a short while.