Others News
- Commerce minister warns against protectionism
Date: 27-Aug-2007 Sources: (Shenzhen Daily)
CHINA'S commerce minister warned trading partners Saturday against using product quality scandals to promote protectionist policies against the country.
'The product quality issue is a global issue and every country in the world faces this problem,'Bo Xilai told reporters on the sidelines of an Asian trade ministers' meeting in Manila, the Philippines.
'We do not agree that one should exaggerate those individual cases and take trade protectionist measures.'
Bo defended China's export reputation in a briefing to ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and emphasized that China was still a developing country and deserved understanding.
'In terms of the quality management of export products we are also in a process of development and improvement,'Bo said.
'All developing countries should understand that. At the same time, I also believe that those fair developed nations should also understand this.'
The world's largest toymaker, Mattel, recalled more than 18 million Chinese-made toys in mid-August because of hazards from small magnets that can cause injury if swallowed, just two weeks after it recalled 1.5 million toys due to fears over lead paint.
Other Chinese export scares have hit toothpaste, animal food ingredients, tyres, eels and seafood.
China has fought back with new rules, factory shutdowns, constant news conferences.
It also says it is the victim of biased news reports that have grossly overstated the quality problem.
Bo indicated that foreign manufacturers were partly responsible for China's quality record given that more than 50 percent of the country's exports were produced by foreign-owned factories.
'In a certain sense, products made in China can also be called products made in the world.'
Separately, the China Daily Saturday quoted Bo as saying that he believed the country would see a 'remarkable increase?in quality standards within six months, as the country fights to restore confidence in its exports.
China has launched a four-month 'war?on tainted food, drugs and exports, domestic media reported Friday.
Vice Premier Wu Yi told officials the campaign, to run to the end of the year, would focus on problem products that have badly dented domestic and foreign consumers' confidence in the 'Made in China?label.
Sponsor Results:
