American Importers Share Responsibility For Unsafe Chinese Products

In its February 2008 issue, China CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) reports that the American Society of Quality (ASQ) says that U.S. importers need to assume some of the responsibility for the inferior products being exported from China. Because quality-control is a relatively new concept to developing countries, American importers need to do their own assessment of incoming products.

Furthermore, as would be expected in a capitalist world, the privately owned exporters tend to have better equipment with better controls than government-run operations. To continue to compete in the global economy, China will need to implement regulations to ensure confidence in its products. Perhaps this will be one arena where strict control will benefit the country. Until then, according to ASQ, Taiwan is the best bet for reliable products.

Here’s the article in its entirety:


The American Society for Quality says much of the responsibility for quality problems that have resulted in Chinese product recalls lies with inadequate oversight by U.S. importers.

“Companies are so used to dealing with suppliers in the United States or Europe that comply with their specifications that they aren’t taking into account that the whole concept of quality systems is a radically new thing to many foreign suppliers in countries like China,” says Randy Goodden, chair of ASQ’s Product Safety & Liability Prevention Interest Group, in a press statement.

In addition to cultural differences and different business operating models, companies sourcing from developing economies are encountering an unfamiliar legal climate often providing no recourse for failure to uphold terms of a contract, document forgery or protection for intellectual property, according to Goodden. William Barthold, chair of ASQ’s Customer-Supplier Division, recently returned from a sourcing study trip to China, where he found a major difference according to types of ownership.

“We tend to find lackadaisical attitudes from government-owned suppliers where management staff gets a paycheck regardless of performance,” says Barthold in a press statement. “But privately-held companies are the best bet as they are investing in their future with newer equipment and more process and controls.” He adds that private companies with foreign management, such as Taiwanese owners who bring in their own managers and work styles, are the ideal combination right now in China.

Both Goodden and Barthold agree that importing companies need to take more responsibility for their inadequate assessment of risks in dealing with foreign suppliers, insufficient supplier development activity and a lack of discipline in applying quality basics with suppliers.

While the United States needs stronger consumer protection measures and an increased capacity of federal consumer protection agencies, ASQ’s new quality report identifies some other high-impact actions that outsourcing companies can take to make a difference.

With more than 93,000 individual and organizational members, the American Society for Quality advances learning, quality improvement and knowledge exchange to improve business results, and to create better workplaces and communities worldwide. As champion of the quality movement, ASQ offers technologies, concepts, tools and training to quality professionals, quality practitioners and everyday consumers.

For more information, go to http://www.chinacsr.com/

The Snow Will Fade, But Responsibility Won't

The Chinese have a long tradition of submitting to fate.

(Here is a current event from the English edition of the weekly Chinese newspaper at eeo.com, the economic observer online.)

Tuesday, February 12 2008


NATURAL DISASTERS
By Editorial staff

It has been a snowstorm that no-one was prepared for. From private to public, across all strata of China's infrastructure - including railway, airlines, highway, power, coal, oil, telecom and others - organizations could only respond to worsening conditions and gradually adapt relief strategies accordingly.

The storm has already hit17 provinces, causing tens of billions of yuan in economic losses, affecting more than one hundred million people, and claiming 60 lives. The people on their way home for the Chinese New Year holiday too have suffered, in Guangzhou city alone, as many as 800,000 people have been setback by the storm.

So far during the storms, more than 10 provinces have experienced limited power supply, making it even more diffiicult for disaster relief efforts. As railway transportation has broken off in many areas, coal could not be delivered to the southern provinces to fuel power stations. In return, the railway transportation system itself has been hurt, with some trains unable to start due to lack of power. These and other force multipliers are working together to worsen the disaster.

Furthermore, even if power, railways, and coal power were operating well temporarily in certain areas, further deterioration in the weather would bring disaster to them as well. Weather forecasts say that many hard-hit areas will have heavy snow over the next few days and that aviation, rail, and highways will continue to be seriously affected. In view of this, the hardest of times may still have yet to come.

That said, every winter comes to an end eventually. Though meteorology experts say China will one day face all kinds of extreme weather, we are not yet facing disasters shown in “The Day After Tomorrow”. When this winter season passes, it will become easier to fix the broken power stations, the railroads, and water supplies.

The Chinese have a long tradition of submitting to fate. Throughout China's thousands of years of civilization, with one disaster striking after another; the commoners fastened their hopes one phrases like “the bad will one day turn into the good" and “the struggle with forces of heaven brings endless pleasures”. Disasters did not herald the unraveling of society because common Chinese became impassioned by working through them and maintaining obedience to their kings. After each catastrophe, their lives returned to normal until the next one came.

Modern society can not deal with disasters in this way. In face of disaster, the public needs not only remedies, but also explanations and the ability to criticize. And taking these storms as an example, even though the government has shown strong emergency response capabilities, everyone knows that the government's response has been far from perfect.

For example, neither the disaster warning system nor emergency response measures were consistent with the Law on Emergency Responses. This reveals insufficient reserves and flawed emergency response plans by government at all levels, which usually attach more importance to aid afterwards than prevention beforehand. Another example is the coal and power shortage, a thorny problem that stems from the pricing system. Without rational pricing, the government is powerless to handle emergencies.

The spring festival migration is yet another test. The heavy snow only highlighted the existing problems caused by the urban-rural dualistic structure--apart from family and tradition, another force driving the migrants home during the festival is the fact that where they are living cannot be called home, as it’s virtually impossible for them to become lawful urban residents under the current system.

All this can be traced to the government’s executive ability and its economic and social management.

In the wake of such a disaster, the work of non-profits and charity organizations is commendable, and they have truly embodied the spirit of a “harmonious society”. But it’s the government that should play the leading role in managing public crisie and providing public services. Besides relief work, it must draw experience from disasters and learn from its mistakes.

With this in mind, the critical attitude of the public cannot be disregarded as unreasonable complaining. The snow will ultimately thaw, but what the publ

Images from Tiananmen Square June 1989

The year 1989 was filled with exciting and tumultuous times. It included Hurricane Hugo, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution, and the massacre at Tiananmen Square. Here are some of the images I remember seeing on television during the summer of 1989. Some of the images are new to me, but all bring back the dismay I felt during that time. I don't feel the same disgust anymore, but only deep sadness.

Tomorrow's Happiness

The following excerpt is from an article that appeared in Time magazine (September 27, 1999, Vol. 154, no. 12, www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/99/0927/democracy_wall.html)

Democracy Wall: A Sudden Explosion of Free Speech, 1979;Unorthodox Opinions Are Heard on the Street

by Wei Jingsheng

The outpouring of outspoken criticism could not have happened at any other time. In the early part of the 1970s, people had yet to realize how flawed the communist system was. Mao's death left a power vacuum that resulted in a loosening of control by the government. In bidding for power, Deng and rival factions tried to win the people's favor by allowing a small degree of freedom. These leaders hoped, too, that freedom of speech would result in people criticizing their opponents.

At first, I was optimistic. I believed that some people in the party would be open to fair criticism and that we would be allowed to continue to express our views. Within two months after the first genuinely critical essays had appeared, a real democratic opposition began to form. This group's goal wasn't merely to tinker with the system, but to declare that, without democracy, China had no future. Because of the controversy surrounding my essay, however, I realized that I would be arrested. This was disheartening, but I still believed that what I had written was right. (photo of Wei Jingsheng)

My friend, parting time is pending.

Farewell, democracy wall.

What can I say to you?

Should I speak of spring’s frigidity?

Should I say you are like the withered winter sweet?

No. I should instead talk of happiness,

tomorrow’s happiness.

Of pure orchid skies,

Of golden flowers,

Of a child’s bright eyes.

We ought to part with dignity, don’t you agree?

- an anonymously posted poem found on Democracy Wall (1978-1979)

World Watch

Do you believe that a widespread and cataclysmic event such as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution could occur again in China today?

I believe that Mao Zedong acquired much of his political power from a Chinese state of mind that dates back thousands of years. Chinese rulers were believed to be divine, so culturally, Mao could claim some of that thought pattern for himself. Lineages of kings, emperors, military nobleman, and clergy maintained power for extended periods of time, sometimes hundreds of years, by requiring the common people to think the same way they did. Free thinking was discouraged, books were burned, and fear was a definite factor in preserving social concord. Which is not to say that uprisings and revolutions didn’t occur. Many have died in China’s history due to unrest, power struggles, and cultural revolutions. The question is: can another one occur in China today?

It’s ironic that during the last revolution, the fight was against the very rulers whose titles gave Mao the cultural power he needed to ignite the people. The leaders of China today don’t seem to have the same power. China is not totally its own anymore, and is gradually embracing its place in the global world. The West has entered and too many people are watching for another revolution, such as the one Mao led, to become a reality today.

However, in recent African (Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Chad, and Kenya) and Burmese histories, the world has watched as anarchy, tribal wars, and deranged military might have killed hundreds of thousands of people. Unfortunately, human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch will remain necessary for years to come. Sometimes a world watching is not enough. (See http://china.hrw.org/ for BEIJING 2008: CHINA'S OLYMPIAN HUMAN RIGHTS CHALLENGES)