Posted on 09/12/2007 9:03:06 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Beyond food and toys, China struggles with its global reputation
From climate change to Darfur, public opinion polls reveal a global unease with the growing superpower.
By Peter Ford | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Beijing
As China prepares to celebrate its emergence as a global power at next year's Olympic Games, a rash of recent American and international opinion polls suggest that the Asian giant faces an uphill battle to convince the world it is worthy of its new status.
And it is more than just a question of food or toys.
Beijing's task is made harder, say Chinese and foreign analysts, because the ruling Communist Party has so far failed to learn the new ropes of international public diplomacy.
Chinese officials are accustomed to traditional links with their diplomatic counterparts abroad. They have little experience coping with the single-issue advocacy groups that have sprung from civil society in the West to shape the international agenda and influence public opinion on questions ranging from climate change to Darfur.
"It is a great problem," says Shi Yinhong, a prominent foreign-affairs expert at Beijing's Renmin University. "China has no experience with this. We are weak at dealing with diverse nongovernmental entities. The government machine is not capable of dealing with such groups."
Nor has it proved very successful in dealing with the sort of novel challenge that this summer's food and toy safety scandals have posed to China's international image, according to the polls.
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
Ping!
What global reputation, other than they half-ass build cheap junk, will cut every corner they can and if it lasts a week it's exceptional. OH, if it doesn't look good cover with lead paint.
We can see this from the standard answers coming from Chinese government regarding the recall: they accuse the Western media is in bed with their government to protect Western economy. It's really using their own model of government-media relationship on other countries.
Brazilian govt reportedly shut down all imports of Mattel toys. U.S. Govt? Nope - Disney is going to “inspect?” After all, Christmas - excuse me - holiday season is coming.
Here’s the solution to lead paint from China: When a ship arrives, test 6 toys. If any of them have too much lead in the paint, reject the whole ship. The problem will stop immediately — and yeah, it’s been done before. Not by us, but it’s been done to us...
China’s main distinction is that it’s the largest slave state on Earth. Without its inexhaustible supply of slave labor (and those foreign investors willing to exploit it), China would never have the economic status it now enjoys. But it’s also far too corrupt to engage in trade responsibly and that’s coming home to roost. Go figure, but people just aren’t willing to pay for the privilege of being poisoned.
you odnt have to worry about the reputation if your underselling everyone
there is allways a market for discount good not matter how shabby, poisonous, or possessing any other dangerous quality
China sends us toxic products and we send them toxic dollars.
BUMP
I think that many corporate QC dept. can do just that, and ship the substandard product back to the supplier with a bill for shipping.
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