To further recognize World Consumer Rights Day on March 15, the China Consumers' Association has published details of what it regards as the 10 most serious incidents affecting consumers in China in 2008.
According to official reports in local media, the 10 incidents, which include the melamine scandal and China Eastern turning back flights, are all closely related to consumers' daily life and are crucial to their interests. Of these, the melamine incident in the Chinese dairy industry was the most important and has raised public concern about food safety. It is reported that a total of about 294,000 children across the country suffered from kidney stones as a result of using milk powder products contaminated by melamine.
The 10 incidents are reported to be: the change in responsibility for traffic accidents and compulsory insurance; China Eastern turning back flights; the promulgation of the ban on plastic bags; the implementation of the Anti-monopoly Law; the adjustment of car consumption tax; the melamine scandal in the dairy industry; the ten measures taken to stimulate domestic demand and expand consumption; bringing home appliances to rural areas; the realization of the three direct links between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland; and the reform of the tax on petroleum end-products.
