A Chinese quality watchdog official reassured Wednesday that
Chinese-made toys are safe and guaranteed for quality.
"I'm confident that with all the measures we have taken,
China-made toys are assured to be both quality and safe products,"
Li Changjiang, director of the General Administration of Quality
Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said at a news briefing on
the sideline of the Third China-U.S. Strategic Economic
Dialogue.
Li said that the administration has strengthened inspection over
toy production, processing and export through certification, and
set up files for material providers for the toy manufacturers.
He said the administration also decided to perform safety checks
on toy designs provided by foreign buyers, in response to toy
recalls caused by faulty designs.
Li said he had personally inspected a Chinese toy-maker based in
the southern province of Guangdong, and found out "the recalls did
not affect the company's toy production, but instead, the orders
increased 10 percent ahead of Christmas."
"Nice and inexpensive Chinese toys will win the hearts of
children around the world," Li said.
China is the world's biggest toy exporter. In 2006, it sold 22
billion sets of toys overseas, about 60 percent of the globe's
total.
Customs statistics show Guangdong, China's main toy production
base, saw a year-on-year 22.9 percent growth in toy exports in the
first ten months.
In response to food and toy scares, the Chinese government held
a four-month crackdown on product safety, particularly toys and
food stuffs, and also initiated intensive training sessions for toy
makers to improve their knowledge of international product
standards and safety awareness.
(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2007)
