China toy boss kills self after recall (Mattel recalled 1 million of his products)

AP ^ | 08/13/07 | AUDRA ANG

[TigerLikesRooster]

China toy boss kills self after recall

By AUDRA ANG, Associated Press Writer

28 minutes ago

BEIJING - The head of a Chinese toy manufacturing company at the center of a huge U.S. recall has committed suicide, a state-run newspaper said Monday.

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Zhang Shuhong, who ran the Lee Der Industrial Co. Ltd., killed himself at a warehouse over the weekend, days after China announced it had temporarily banned exports by the company, the Southern Metropolis Daily said.

Lee Der made 967,000 toys recalled earlier this month by Mattel Inc. because they were made with paint found to have excessive amounts of lead. The plastic preschool toys, sold under the Fisher-Price brand in the U.S., included the popular Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and Diego characters.

The newspaper said that a supplier, Zhang's best friend, sold Lee Der fake paint that was used in the toys.

"The boss and the company were harmed by the paint supplier, the closest friend of our boss," a manager surnamed Liu was quoted as saying.

Liu said Zhang hung himself on Saturday, according to the report. It is common for disgraced officials to commit suicide in China.

A company official who answered the telephone at the Lee Der factory in the southern city of Foshan on Monday said he had not heard of the news. A man at Lee Der's main office in Hong Kong said the company was not accepting interviews and hung up.

The recall by El Segundo, Calif.-based Mattel came just two months after RC2 Corp., a New York company, recalled 1.5 million Chinese-made wooden railroad toys and set parts from its Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway product line because of lead paint.

The maker, Hansheng Wood Products Factory, also was included in the export ban announced Thursday by the General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, one of China's quality watchdogs.

The administration also ordered both companies to evaluate and change their business practices.

Lead poisoning can cause vomiting, anemia and learning difficulties. In extreme cases, it can cause severe neurological damage and death.

The quality watchdog also said police were investigating two companies' use of "fake plastic pigment" but did not give any details. Such pigments are a type of industrial latex usually used to increase surface gloss and smoothness.

Chinese companies often have long supply chains, making it difficult to trace the exact origin of components, chemicals and food additives.

The toy recalls were among the largest in recent months involving Chinese products, which have come under fire for containing potentially dangerous high levels of chemicals and toxins.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[Old_Mil]

I’m thinking that CEO suicide is one tradition that the Chinese adhere to that we should adopt.

[KingKenrod]

I suspect he had some help in deciding to take his own life. Maybe he was given the opportunity to avoid the rest of his life in a forced-labor re-education camp.

[NRA2BFree]

He probably committed suicide because he knew the government would execute him. There’s too much at stake for them to allow these people to get away with cutting corners to make a buck. There’s billions of dollars in trade at stake. I’m sure they’re already are feeling it.

[Candor7]

Won Hung Lo.

Man, what a treacherous bunch, and no quality control?

I don't by anythng from China these days, unless its nails, and I look them over really well to dump out the ones with burred or flanged points before buying.

[djf]

I guess in their country if they say "I take full responsibility" they really, really mean it!!

[mefistofelerevised]

Wasn’t China given ‘favored nation’ status a few years back? It was about money,and greed, and slave labor. Globalists at their best.

[A knight without armor]

Wow. I wonder if they ever pinned the pet food screw up on any individual.

[LexBaird]

Why do I suspect his “suicide” was also by lead poisoning, at close range to the back of his skull? This is the second recent Chinese embarassment to be quickly swept away.

[beaversmom]

I suspect he had some help in deciding to take his own life.

That was one of my thoughts as well.

[Texas Songwriter]

Do any or the CEO’s in America have this kind of integrity?

[beaversmom]

I don't by anythng from China these days...

I really don't know how people can avoid China made products unless someone is living like Ted Kaczynski. Then you've got food products which have ingredients that come from China but there's no way to tell from the label.

[Duke Nukum]

It sure is a good thing all the U.S. manufactures went overseas to save money. Seems to be paying off big time!

[Candor7]

Well, we live in a rural area, and we buy local produce , and put it up in the freezer.

When we have to buy clothes, we know where to go to get American or Canadian made stuff.

If we see China on it, we simply do without it until we can get what we need from a US supplier via the Internet, or buy it in a used item store.

Its a serious thing and takes work initially, but once you get it down, its not so hard.

We do buy European made goods as well.

[elli1]

Do any or the CEO’s in America have this kind of integrity?

The CEO of Mattel, Bob Eckert, apologized. /s

[paudio]

I suspect a bunch of things inside your computer are made in China.

[elli1]

I don't by anythng from China these days, unless its nails,

American Made Nails

[Candor7]

Yep, you are liely right there but it was assembled in the Phillipines!

But them my computer was purchased before our no China purchase policy.

I will likely need a special dispensation from the Anti-China Prelates if I decide to buy a new PC, unless I can find one made of German parts or something.

[Candor7]

Thanks! That link will come in handy.

[Global2010]

Same here.

Bought my plates at salvation army.

[Candor7]

I am all for a boycott China goods movement.

Duncan Hunter has made it clear that they don't play by the rules, and now they keep shipping poisonous stuff to us.

If we could reduce their trade by even 10%, it would send them a real message.

Clean it up, go for quality,stop growing your army to ridiculous proportions, and float your currency internationally. While your at it free Tibet.

Until China does that, they are just a collection of wannabes stuck in the rickshaw era.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Confucious say: never buy paint from a friend.

[sushiman]

” I don’t by anythng from China these days, “

Check your computer ...

[ari-freedom]

Okay, I'm gonna say something about my product right here, Johnny Space Commander mask. I want to say, first of all, it's a very fluid item, in terms of sales. I don't know, Miss Face, if you're familiar with the movie "Star Wars"? Well, this movie has generated a tremendous amount of popularity and enthusiasm about space and science fiction. This Johnny Space Commander mask here is a pure fantasy toy. I mean, you know, kids can have a lot of fun with a toy like this, you know? Let me show you.. "Hello, hello, this is Johnny Space Commander. I'm in deep space, I'm gonna land the rocket now!" You see what I mean? You see what I mean? It's a pure fantasy toy!

[ari-freedom]

[Candor7]

Probably has china parts BUT assembled in Phillipines ( DELL).

But I bought it BEFORE our anti-China campaign.

If I have to get a new one, I will try to go German.

[gdc314]

Or he could have just retired...who really knows?

[sushiman]

German ?

I want to make the switch from PC to MAC , but all the Macs are assembled in China , too ! : (

[DB]

“Do any or the CEO’s in America have this kind of integrity?”

Do you?

[jws3sticks]

Or he could have just retired...who really knows?

His US senatorial benefactor was one Hillary Roddamn Clinton.

Just joking.

[WoofDog123]

tremendously convenient. any number of possible motives attach themselves to this, given the gravity with which the chinese government views their image problems in the US.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

Suicide. Right. Sure. As in, “Come here loser, you are about to commit forced suicide or we can just whack your whole family.”

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

There are entire market segments like toys, clothes, shoes and other cheap goods, that the Chinese have monopolies in, having driven all other competitors out of business with their slave-wages.

You really can’t avoid buying Chinese products without avoiding buying many products. I do my best to avoid buying Chinese and I’ll spend any reasonable price to do so. But even I am stuck with a fair amount of Chinese goods.

As for the member you responded to, what does he do, ship his computer back to the manufacturer because all the cords and cables that came with it are made in China?

[TigerLikesRooster]

Well, lawyers have to take the lead. After all, they are worse than CEO's.

Start with 1,000 lawyers on the bottom of ocean, which should include Bill and Hillary Clinton.:-)

[wai-ming]

Do any or the CEO’s in America have this kind of integrity?

I don't know that "integrity" is the right word here.

It would have taken more integrity to stand up and face the music, answering all questions honestly, admitting mistakes, and seeking to make amends where wrong had been done. That would, of course, involve "losing face," which in China is a fate worse then death. It's sad that he committed suicide. It doesn't solve anything and only brings more pain to his family.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

I believe it was George W. Bush who gave China most favored nation status.

[Caipirabob]

Zhang Shuhong, who ran the Lee Der Industrial Co. Ltd., killed himself at a warehouse over the weekend

No details given here, but I suspect it was the "traditional Chinese suicide" by some 20 or so bullets applied directly to the head...

[Caipirabob]

My thoughts as well. Somehow I don't think these suicides are "voluntary".

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

The strangest thing, to my mind, is what possible incentive could they have for using lead paint? Lead is added to paint as a fungicide, to retard the growth of mold.

I suppose it may just be common practice to use leaded paint in China. The toys shouldn't present a problem unless the baby chews them.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Production machinery made in China costs at least half to a quarter of the same machinery made in the US/Europe/Japan/ etc. These Chinese machines come with almost no safety equipment making their use in most Western countries not possible. They’re also cheaply made, just enough to get them out the door. Companies who let morons buy these machines soon find out that they don’t do the job and it would cost more than a new machine to bring them up to standards.

I recently learned that most of the Chinese manufacturing companies don’t buy production machinery made in China.

[Greg F]

Yah. I don’t think suicide is the Chinese tradition. Japanese yes.

[magellan]

Let me guess. Self-inflicted gunshot wound to the back of the head.

[driftdiver]

“Do any or the CEO’s in America have this kind of integrity?”

Yes there are many. Fortunately they wouldn’t be in this position in the first place due to that integrity.

Its the ones that need a good hanging to fix their character that don’t have the integrity.

[driftdiver]

“I believe it was George W. Bush who gave China most favored nation status.”

It was Clinton. Clinton also gave them the technology for their space and missile programs.

[wafflehouse]

yes, if i remember right they executed some token bastard over that deal

[saveliberty]

I think that he thought the government would have executed him. PRC has a van that comes and gives a lethal injection. Then they harvest the organs.

[GBA]

"It is common for disgraced officials to commit suicide in China."

John Murtha, your conscience is calling...

[xp38]

I want to know what exactly is fake paint as opposed to real paint. :)

[Old_Mil]

Some do - the fellow who runs Costco, for instance. Most don’t. Interestingly, I suspect he was probably making a fraction of his counterpart at Mattel - perhaps it’s time to start outsourcing management!