Quality Control

In the United States, quality control is everywhere. Inspections occur regularly and goods produced in the U.S. must live up to high standards, but what about in China? The media has recently brought to our attention that children's toys containing lead have been produced in China and shipped to the U.S. for sale. This is especially disturbing because children have a lower tolerance for lead than adults, but even more disturbing is the discrepancy, explained by the Chicago Tribune in its issue on February 16th, between American and Chinese standards for medicine. Unfortunately, Chinese law only requires inspections for factories that sell their goods in the Chinese market. That means that any factories producing medicine solely for foreigners are left unchecked. Tainted Chinese drugs have caused deaths across the globe, so what can be done to prevent Americans from being harmed? This is where political relationships come into play. Currently the Chinese don't allow the U.S. to make surprise inspections of Chinese factories -- it is Chinese policy to warn a factory before making an inspection. This policy undermines any U.S. efforts to ensure quality products, so the U.S. government must now negotiate new terms for inspection in China. Right now the Chinese are embarrassed that their products are not up to foreign standards, so they should be willing to cooperate with the U.S. government in order to establish new inspection regulations.

This issue raises several recurring questions: Are Chinese-made goods a liability for the U.S. government and its citizens? Will China be able to maintain its low-priced goods and simultaneously improve its standards for quality? How do issues like this create political tension between China and the U.S.? How could this issue serve to further the political bond between China and the U.S.?