Chinese Amercian community leaders call for fair US treatment towards Chinese products
Monday, 3 September 2007
NEW YORK, Sept 2 (Xinhua): Some Chinese American communities have recently called on the US society to treat Chinese-made products in the American market fairly, saying product quality is a global issue.
"Food safety and product quality are a global issue. Other countries also have such problems," said Grace Meng, president of Queens Chinese Women's Association.
A diagram prepared by Meng showed the per centage of recall comparison as of August 2007. "Made in China" represents 37 per cent and others account for the rest 63 per cent, according to figures released by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
"We support stricter inspection but oppose trade protectionism, " she said.
Meng believes that singling out China is unhelpful and unfair. She and other Chinese American community leaders were encouraging people to sign a letter to President George W. Bush and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The letter reads: "While we applaud efforts on the part of our government and the media to curtail dangerous practices and ensure product safety, we feel that China has been unfairly targeted in this process."
"The problem of defective products of foreign origin is by far not a single country issue... In this light, it makes sense for the American government and the media to direct its attention on regulating all unsafe products regardless of national origin," it continues.
Diankui Su, president of Henan Association in East Coast, said: "We are strongly against trade protectionism, against prejudice."
"China is the biggest developing country in the world and the United States is the biggest developed country. China and the United States are mutually complementary on trade. Close and friendly relationship between the two countries is good for both, " he said.
Su thought the Chinese government's current measures to improve food safety and product quality are necessary and
responsible steps.
Beijing has entrusted Vice Premier Wu Yi to lead a nation- wide four-month intensive campaign to improve food safety and product quality and hopes to see results by the end of the year.
Su said trade protectionism does no good. "If American consumers boycott Chinese-made products, they will have to pay 30 to 50 per cent more money for alternatives made in other countries."
Esther Chu, vice president of Chinese American Business Women's Association, said: "Facts speak a lot of words. If Made- in-China has no traits and its own advantages, we won't see so many Chinese-made products in US markets."
Chu, who does toy business for almost 20 years, said all toys made in China must be checked and tested by a third party in Hong Kong before they are shipped to the United States.
"If there is a problem, all parties should be taken responsible, not just the manufacturer," she added.
Chu said, "the Chinese toy manufacturers make a very low profit from each overseas order. In fact, most of the profits are taken away by the importers."
She added that the picky importers often cut payment for imported goods at the excuse of something you can never imagine of, like appearances, zips, and the loss is borne by the manufacturers.
Meanwhile, recalls are continuing.
In order to restore consumers' confidence in Chinese-made products, China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine released some figures to the public in the past two months.
Li Changjiang, head of the governmental watchdog organisation, said at least 99 per cent of Chinese exports met quality standards between 2004-2006.
"Food safety and product quality are a global issue. Other countries also have such problems," said Grace Meng, president of Queens Chinese Women's Association.
A diagram prepared by Meng showed the per centage of recall comparison as of August 2007. "Made in China" represents 37 per cent and others account for the rest 63 per cent, according to figures released by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
"We support stricter inspection but oppose trade protectionism, " she said.
Meng believes that singling out China is unhelpful and unfair. She and other Chinese American community leaders were encouraging people to sign a letter to President George W. Bush and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The letter reads: "While we applaud efforts on the part of our government and the media to curtail dangerous practices and ensure product safety, we feel that China has been unfairly targeted in this process."
"The problem of defective products of foreign origin is by far not a single country issue... In this light, it makes sense for the American government and the media to direct its attention on regulating all unsafe products regardless of national origin," it continues.
Diankui Su, president of Henan Association in East Coast, said: "We are strongly against trade protectionism, against prejudice."
"China is the biggest developing country in the world and the United States is the biggest developed country. China and the United States are mutually complementary on trade. Close and friendly relationship between the two countries is good for both, " he said.
Su thought the Chinese government's current measures to improve food safety and product quality are necessary and
responsible steps.
Beijing has entrusted Vice Premier Wu Yi to lead a nation- wide four-month intensive campaign to improve food safety and product quality and hopes to see results by the end of the year.
Su said trade protectionism does no good. "If American consumers boycott Chinese-made products, they will have to pay 30 to 50 per cent more money for alternatives made in other countries."
Esther Chu, vice president of Chinese American Business Women's Association, said: "Facts speak a lot of words. If Made- in-China has no traits and its own advantages, we won't see so many Chinese-made products in US markets."
Chu, who does toy business for almost 20 years, said all toys made in China must be checked and tested by a third party in Hong Kong before they are shipped to the United States.
"If there is a problem, all parties should be taken responsible, not just the manufacturer," she added.
Chu said, "the Chinese toy manufacturers make a very low profit from each overseas order. In fact, most of the profits are taken away by the importers."
She added that the picky importers often cut payment for imported goods at the excuse of something you can never imagine of, like appearances, zips, and the loss is borne by the manufacturers.
Meanwhile, recalls are continuing.
In order to restore consumers' confidence in Chinese-made products, China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine released some figures to the public in the past two months.
Li Changjiang, head of the governmental watchdog organisation, said at least 99 per cent of Chinese exports met quality standards between 2004-2006.