Children today will never remember a time when Japanese cars were considered vastly inferior to American brands like General Motors, Ford or Chrysler. They won’t remember when all Korean electronics were cheaply marketed with unheard-of brand names.
In the last few months, front-page news stories have told us of the pet food scare that was inexplicably killing household pets around the country. Of toothpaste that contained chemical solvents used in antifreeze. Of produce contaminated with dangerous pesticides. Of seafood contaminated with antibiotics and anti-fungals. Today, news broke that 1.5 million children’s toys must be recalled because they are covered in lead paint. The source of these dangerous products? China.
I understand that China is a developing country, in spite of its vast resources and workforce. Nonetheless, if we look at countries like Japan and South Korea, which were absolutely decimated by war in the mid-twentieth century, we see that their quality of exported goods increased over time rather than decreased. Today brands like Toyota, Sony and Samsung are among the tops in their respective industries.
In order to stop the bleeding and prevent further harm to its national brand, China will need to take swift action to let the world know the steps it is taking to ensure the safety of its customers. And no, executing public officials for corruption is not a good start. There is no doubt that China, the “Sleeping Dragon,” is nearly fully awake – In the light of multiple, grievous quality oversights, however, sheepish consumers will keep hitting the snooze button.
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