Minister Bo Xilai of China's Ministry of Commerce has reiterated China's strong stance towards product safety and food safety of Chinese exports.
According to the Ministry of Commerce website, during the 6th Consultations between ASEAN Economic Ministers and the Minister of Commerce, Bo reiterated the Chinese government's emphasis on product safety and food safety. China had maintained an annual export growth of 17% on average for the past 29 years and statistics had shown that, from 2004 through the first half of 2007, over 99% of Chinese food exports to the United States, European Union, and Japan were safe.
Bo said, "Made-in-China" often meant good quality and competitive price. Chinese products were the result of international cooperation and division of labor. In terms of trade patterns, more than half of Chinese exports belonged to processing trade, made according to the demands and requirements of international orders. In terms of exporting entity, products made by foreign-invested ventures accounted for 58% of China's total export volume.
Even though only one out of a hundred exports was problematic, Bo said Chinese government and enterprises would give 100% attention to these problems, Minister Bo said, and export quality cases would be handled properly pursuant to related laws.
The Economic Ministers attending the meeting also said that they would not discriminate against Chinese exports based on a minute portion of problematic ones, neither would they adopt restrictive measures on Chinese exports. Products quality was a global issue, the ministers said, and it was inadvisable to not overplay deficient quality issues of Chinese exports.
