AP News, July 5th, 2007
The United States should not use a few tainted Chinese products as an excuse to smear the country's reputation of being a reliable source of safe exports, a state-run newspaper said Thursday.
The editorial in the China Daily came amid worldwide worries over a growing list of dangerous or shoddy Chinese products that a number of countries are rejecting or banning, including toothpaste, juice, fish and toys containing toxins.
While officials have stepped up efforts to refine and strengthen regulations, as well as crack down on violators, they have also been quick to point out that China has had a good track record in the past and is not the only exporter with problems.
"Using the safety issues against all Chinese exports is neither reassuring nor productive," said the China Daily, an English-language newspaper geared toward foreigners. "It should not be an excuse for foreign protectionists to sell their trade-distorting arguments."
It said that while some specific exports had problems, "more than 99 percent of food exports to the U.S. in the last three years met quality standards."
"It makes little sense to regard some individual exporters' problems as a national one," the paper said. "Any bias against products with a 'made in China' tag does injustice to Chinese exports' overall good quality."
Concerns over the safety of Chinese exports began earlier this year, when the deaths of dogs and cats in North America were linked to pet food containing Chinese wheat gluten tainted with the chemical melamine.
While Chinese authorities at first played down or ignored international concerns, the editorial is the latest in a series of recent actions apparently to reassure and reclaim its credibility as a global exporter.
State media and quality control agencies have been releasing more information on the quality of imports and exports, as well as the results of various spot inspections around the country.
Last week, a Commerce Ministry spokesman guaranteed the safety of exports. Central officials have been urging local governments to be more vigilant with inspections and quarantines. In addition, a quality control agency said it would post on its Web site the names of companies that violate regulations and ban them from export activities for two years.
"The government has paid great attention to the issue of safety," the China Daily said. "Thanks to stricter supervision, China has seen steady improvement in food products."
In an earlier editorial on Wednesday, the China Daily said Chinese food exports were at times rejected merely because China's standards were lower than those of importing countries.
"This is not because the food itself was of low quality but because the standards we use may be lower," the paper said. "It is becoming increasingly urgent to raise the food safety standards to international levels."
Also Wednesday, state media also reported that China was crafting new regulations on dental care products after a potentially deadly chemical found in antifreeze was discovered in shipments to countries in North and South America, as well as Asia.
There have been no reports of health problems stemming from the product.
