Last spring I attended an event where I sat at a dinner table with this self-promoting, pseudo-intellectual, condescending economist who taught at Belmont University (I think it was Belmont).  He was trying to impress us all with his international credentials.  His travels were to China and he was saying how China was a modern marvel, a free and open country where a market economy was going gang busters.

I was taken back when he first made the statement and sat there for a moment catching flies with my mouth hanging open at such a preposterous statement.  Upon challenge to him, his response was to tell me and my friend that we didn’t have a cluebat and he did because he “traveled” to China regularly.  In mentioning a few common practices like censorship or prison for openly stating anything against the government and the mere factoid it was a Communist country he brushed me off with a superior attitude most libruls use when facts are staring them in the face.  My friend figured he was trying to impress the couple who were sitting on the other side of me.  This couple happened to be of considerable wealth but were without the airs.  I had no clue who this couple was but was just having a nice conversation with the wife about her grandchildren.  What I kept doing in my conversation with the wife though, was to mutter what a pompous ass this man was and he was typical librul idiot of higher education.  She was cracking up each time I muttered something else knocking the man.  I’m afraid I may have destroyed the man’s chances of ever getting his mitts on any of their money for a grant.  boohoo. 

What China is having problems with is that it is a closed country without transparency.  Some of these product issues might have seen the light of day if China was an open and free country.  So, how does China deal with these exposures?

They say it’s unfair.  Oh no!  They say it’s biased and politically motivated!  Strong words….haha.  I don’t hear them denying the problems.

New Zealand investigates Chinese “chemical clothes”

WELLINGTON, Aug 21 (Reuters) - The New Zealand government said on Tuesday it was investigating the safety of imported clothing from China and other countries following concerns that it contained dangerous levels of chemicals.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs said the investigation had been launched after a local television programme found woollen and cotton fabrics imported from China contained levels of formaldehyde up to 900 times the safety limit set by the World Health Organisation.

“We are very concerned about this issue and if action needs to taken, we will act very quickly,” said the ministry’s general manager Elizabeth MacPherson.

Formaldehyde, used by some clothing manufacturers to prevent mildew, can cause skin irritations, respiratory problems and even cancer if exposed to high levels of the chemical.

In a separate incident, the Commerce Commission is looking into the safety of Chinese-made pyjamas after two boys suffered minor burns when their garments caught fire.

The Warehouse Group (NZX: WHS.nz) , the country’s largest retailer, said it had withdrawn the pyjamas from its stores until the test results were revealed later in the week.

The moves comes after a series of scandals over the safety of Chinese-made products from toys to toothpaste.

Mattel Inc MAT.N, the world’s largest toy maker, last week recalled millions of toys made in China due to lead paint and hazards from small powerful magnates that can be swallowed and cause injury.

Chinese officials have said the world should have faith in the “made-in-China” label and that a spate of product recalls has been unfair, biased and politically motivated.

I found this on Free Republic and one of the comments summed up the issue aptly:

“Wow. Chinese technology. Melamine-laced albumin,
poison pajamas, lead-painted children’s toys, dioxin-flavored ice cream,
human food from dog’s you-know-what,
pharmaceuticals containing lead, roadkill, and road paint
unstable blowoutable tires, defective tires missing ‘gum strips’ to prevent tread separation.
garbage and feces-fed seafood, melamine-dog food,
dioxin- and melamine-filled vitamins!!!!
polyethylene glycol-flavored toothpaste!!!
cardboard-asbestos filled buns!!!!!!
embalming-fluid filled candies and pastries!
Is there ANYTHING the Chinese can’t do (or ship to other countries)?”

Well said Diogenesis.

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