China Accepts Mattel's "Late" Apology

Says This Should Help Dispel American Consumers' Suspicions About Chinese Products

(AP)  China's state media on Monday welcomed U.S. toy maker Mattel's apology over its recalls of Chinese-made toys, saying that although overdue it should help restore the country's sullied export reputation.

Mattel apologized in Beijing on Friday for recalling 21 million toys this summer, the majority of which had small magnets that could fall out and be harmful to children if swallowed.

Mattel admitted the problem was a design flaw - not the fault of Chinese manufacturers.

However, the recalls also included hundreds of thousands of toys found to be decorated with hazardous lead-tainted paint. Mattel said the company pulled more of those toys off shelves than necessary and made Chinese manufacturers look bad.

Mattel, the world's largest toy maker, said it understood and appreciated the "issues that this has caused for the reputation of Chinese manufacturers."

"The apology, though delayed, should help dispel the suspicion American customers harbor against Chinese-made products and clean up the stain the recalls left on the innocent Chinese workers who make a living doing honest labor," the official English-language China Daily newspaper reported.

The state-run Guangzhou Daily said in an editorial Monday that Mattel's apology was a little late "but at least it redressed injustice against toys made in China."

But the paper added: "It is still too early to say we are happy."

Thomas A. Debrowski, Mattel's executive vice president for worldwide operations, made the apology Friday during talks with Li Changjiang, who heads one of China's major product safety watchdogs.

Chinese food, drugs and other exports ranging from toothpaste to seafood are under intense scrutiny because they have been found to contain potentially deadly substances. At home the problem occurs regularly.

The Beijing Times newspaper reported Sunday that eight types of mooncakes sampled in a major supermarket chain contained "excessive bacteria." The sweet, hockey-puck shaped confections are a traditional gift during this week's important Mid-Autumn Festival.

In the far western region of Xinjiang, authorities seized 2,597 bottles of fake Maotai - a famous distilled liquor - from a hotel in the country's largest such haul ever. The report said the alcohol was not Maotai, although it carried the Maotai label, but did not give details of the actual contents or if anyone had become ill after drinking.

China has bristled at what it claims is a campaign to discredit its reputation as an exporter. It accuses foreign media and others of playing up its product safety issues as a form of protectionism.

The International Herald Leader, a subsidiary publication of China's official Xinhua News Agency, said in an editorial that the "American media should also apologize" for the way it handled the Mattel recalls.

Beijing insists that the vast majority of its exports are safe but has stepped up inspections of food, drugs and other products in response to the concerns.

China said Monday it had increased checks on agriculture products nationwide to cut the use of banned pesticides and the overuse of animal feed additives and fertilizers. The move was part of a four-month campaign spearheaded by the State Council - the country's Cabinet - to improve the overall quality of Chinese goods.

Ten people have been arrested and almost 100 offending companies shut down since August, Vice Minister of Agriculture Gao Hongbin said.

Gao said the ministry was targeting 100 percent surveillance of wholesale agricultural product markets in large and medium-sized cities in the hunt for illegal pesticides and feed additives.

Authorities were also targeting the illegal production, sale and application of five types of pesticides, he said.

"It is precisely because of the existence of loopholes that we have gone all out to correct the problem," Gao said at a news conference. "This four-month campaign ... is indeed a special battle we have to fight. If we are fighting a battle, we have to have an enemy. And this enemy is the loopholes."

China's food chain is tainted at many levels by the overuse of pesticides and additives. While the problem has been common in China for years, it aroused international concern this year because of complaints about contaminated Chinese exports, such as farmed fish in which U.S. and European authorities have found high doses of a carcinogenic antibiotic.

Gao also said that about 290,000 pigs in China have been sickened by blue ear disease since the start of the year, but that "we are exercising the strictest controls over the epidemic to prevent further spread of the disease."

Blue ear, also known as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, has been the cause of skyrocketing prices of pork, the country's staple meat.

Earlier this month, Agriculture Ministry officials said that China has already vaccinated 200 million pigs.

"In the past, the Chinese people eat to have a full stomach. But nowadays people eat to satisfy their taste buds, and to have a safe and healthy life," Gao said.

"So the quality and safety of agricultural products in China is indeed a matter of primary importance and we should continue to pay attention to this question," he said.

[rushlimpdrug]

Blue ear has lead to the significant reduction in herd size. Supply/demand. Not really rocket science.
Posted by LawyerTom1

The underlying questions are this:
1. What the helll is blue ear?
2. Why is this not a seperate story? ? ?

A sentence about blue ear and pork in a story about Mattel is something my 6th grade English teacher would have not tolerated.
Where is the story about the blue ear as it relates to Mattel''s pigs?

[trenticus-2009]

Mattel states that it was a design flaw and felt that they (Mattel) should appologize to the Chinese??? So, Mattel designed their products to be manufactured with lead based paint??? Hmmmm...... I think Mattel is sucking up because they cannot have their product manufactured at the current cost the Chinese can do it for. Gotta love those sweat shops! Thanks mattel for letting us know you cannot be trusted!!!

[usamomma2]

So Mattel is saying that their toys are unsafe, by implication, even those not made in China. That''s good to know. However, it is the Chinese made toys that have been deemed unsafe. I wonder why they have not apologized to the American consumer for selling unsafe toys made in China. It really galls me that they would place the feelings of the Chinese ahead of the health and safety of American children. I for one will never again buy a toy made in China OR a toy made by Mattel as I do not want to live with the thought that a toy I buy may cause damage to a child because it is made with lead paint or because it is design flawed or otherwise unsafe. Mattel has long stood for safety in toys but it seems those days are long gone. Well Mattel, you may have placated the Chinese, and I assume you plan to move your customer base to China as I know I myself and many other American consumers plan to look elsewhere for safe toys for our children, but I know you have not placated me. My child''s safety trumps your apology.

[trillion1]

I think Mattel will lose more business for the apoligy than the lead paint. Chinese workers make pennies on the dollar compared to their American counter parts. I think the problem started when companies got overly greedy and the profits stopped generating good wages for American workers and started obscene wages for the bosses. Americans no longer had the buying power so they started looking for less expensive products. They didn''t last as long but they were cheaper. Then the cycle started. American consumers couldn''t afford American made products. Now we are stuck. Almost every tv and electrical product is made in China now. The screen you are reading this on was made in China. If an American company wants to make these things now they can''t compete with Chinas low wages, and total lack of enviormental and busniess ethics. All I can do at the moment is try to buy products made anywhere but China.

[excelsior9]

Late apology? Mattel you are such wimps! Affraid the cheap labor and products might not be there if you make China angry? China has product safety watchdogs? Yeah right! Anyone whos has been to China knows it is a slummy dump of a country who makes goods out of anything they can find. They don''t care if its toxic material or not. As long as they get paid 10 cents for it from companies like Mattel. I defended Matell for standing up and being responsible in other forums. The whole time Mattel was thinking the bottom line, not consumer safety. There must be more behind the scenes why Mattel all of a sudden apologized. Probably Chinese threats. More than likely the threat of China not supplying their tainted recycled junk scared Mattel. But the apology came just in time for Mattel to plan for the Christmas rush. That was a close one. Maybe Mattel should be affraid of US consumers not buying poisoned goods from China. I personally am not going to risk my kids health because Mattel wants to make a buck. They obviously assume Americans will continue to buy that garbage. As far as the American media apologizing, well China kiss our Freedom of the Press Butts, because its not gonna happen. You don''t supply the paper its written on.

[nskduke1]

China=Communist Stop buying China products, is that so hard.

[nskduke1]

China=Communist Stop buying China products, is that so hard.

[nskduke1]

China=Communist Stop buying China products, is that so hard.

[nskduke1]

China=Communist Stop buying China products, is that so hard.

[nskduke1]

China=Communist Stop buying China products, is that so hard.

[lawyertom1]

rushlimpdrug

A disease can cause price increases if it a) kills the animals or leads to the destruction of the animals because of the disease, and b) the animals are a principle source of protein for the population. Both hold. Chinese love pork; it is a major protein source. Blue ear has lead to the significant reduction in herd size. Supply/demand. Not really rocket science.

[lawyertom1]

A key question: What did Mateel put in its contracts? Did they bear the risk, or their suppliers? It Mateel bore the risk and did not check the incoming products, then shame on them. If the contract called for compliance with U.S. law, then shame on the suppliers.

[voteronpaul3]

How many more recalls and how much more damage is going to come from China as large corporations keep selling American jobs off to the lowest bidder. Take a stand demand a change join a group in your local city today. It is a ReVoLuTiOn Join Now & Be heard: http://ronpaul.meetup.com/cities/

[rushlimpdrug]

Posted by lastdance2 at 05:38 PM

very intersting post.
Certainly I did not know this.
Wish more Amercians knew and cared.

[lastdance2]

Mattel - Did not - Apologize To China
Mattel - Apologized to the - Bush Family

The Uncle of Pres. Bush
Prescott Bush
Chairman, U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce;

U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce - Who enjoys - $9.00 a month - Slave Labor - Who Allows - Lead Painted Toys - Defective Merchandise - Tainted and Poisoned Food Stuffs - To be shipped to the US. - Purposely Intended for use and consumption by the American consumer.

Prescott Bush - Knowing - The Ratifications - of Poisoned Food - Lead Poisoning and potentially Defective and Hazardous products. - To the American Parent and The American Child - Prescott Bush Continued - To Allow those imports.

Prescott Bush - Needs to be : Criminally Charged and Prosecuted

Pres. Bush - Cut funding to the port authority - Now there is only one (1) Inspector at each port of entry. - To Inspect shipments from China

Simply Put - Its a Family Affair

Prescott Bush connections to an American firm, Asset Management In 1989, The company was the Only U.S. firm able to - Skirt - U.S. sanctions and import (Smuggle) Communications Satellites into China.

The FBI - The US Justice Department has always Worked on the Behalf of - The Political Objectives and The Financial Objectives of - The Republican (Nazi) Party - Criminal Corporate (Nazi) America

No Criminal Charges - On this Issue - Is Evidenced to that
There was a time - Treason and Corruption- Was a Criminal Act

Lastdance

[starleo146]

Gee, I didn''''t know a disease could be caused by price increases.

What the helll kind of stupid reporting is this? ? ? ?

Posted by rushlimpdrug at 02:34 PM : Sep 24, 2007

LOL

[alphaa10-2009]

Mattel management has offered a public demonstration of remorse to the PRC leadership-- to eat 1,000 lead-painted Mattel dolls in Tienanmen Square.

[rushlimpdrug]

"Blue ear, also known as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, has been the cause of skyrocketing prices of pork, the country''s staple meat."

Gee, I didn''t know a disease could be caused by price increases.

What the helll kind of stupid reporting is this? ? ? ?

[liberalme]

Pardon me Spectrom---that "little mistake could have killed thousands of precious children!!

What planet are you from? Hate??? The Americans finally want whats right--and we''ll get it too!!

[starleo146]

Sorry Antonio--it was better--we learned and improved our own quality of life--. People worked hard and were happy with what they had and a little more was always a plus!

Today, greed and the bottom line has taken over and Americans are spinning their wheels just to get what they want--the corporations depend on the WANTS of Americans, and it doesn''''t matter where or how they''''re made--we''''ll still buy them--thus the profit margin.

Americans are starting to pay attention to what has been going on for the past several decades, but we won''''t see any change until more become fed up.

Posted by liberalme at 11:38 AM : Sep 24, 2007

Couldn''t have said it better what is wrong with one thing for xmas they appreciate it more and do not ask for more next year Oh No we can''t do that it wouldn''t be xmas would it.