[bert]

The goods are not shoddy. To say that is to announce you unfamiliarity with Chinese exports.

[palmer]

There are some higher quality Chinese products but only because the foreign buyers insist on quality through the entire supply chain. Otherwise the real reason that their economy is tanking is because they are measured by cheapness rather than lasting quality. Each supplier is driven by the need to create jobs regardless of the marketability of the component. They survive by constantly lowering their price. There is tremendous oversupply of input components in their constant race to the bottom.

This leads to cutting corners in every material input down to the metal, plastic and chemicals. It generally won't show up until the capacitors dry out and die and that might take a few years. Buying a generic Chinese electronic product and expecting it last to is extremely unrealistic.

[palmer]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/technology/29dell.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general

Sure, it's a hit piece from the NYT, but it's essentially correct and not complicated. Racing the bottom in cost is not going to result in lasting quality.

[palmer]

http://defensetech.org/2012/05/22/fake-parts-are-everywhere/

Now, we’ve known that fake parts — usually made in China — have been making their way into Defense Department maintenance depots for years. However, a brand new report by the SASC details how fake parts are making their way into some of the military’s newest and most advanced weapons systems. How many fake parts in DoD supply chains were discovered by the committee’s investigation? 84,000 from just one Chinese supplier.

[chainsaw]

Go to www.cpsc.gov/ and sign up for daily recalls and watch how many come from China.