Posts Tagged ‘ China ’

Trust in China Should be Toppled in Similar Fashion

January 28th, 2010. By Hunter West

Okay, so China has had its problems with heparin and toothpaste, lead in kid’s toys and tires, cribs and pet food. But you can’t argue with the fact that the Republic of China is an economic powerhouse already and if you’re a manufacturer, you can’t argue with the cheap cost of labor. 

They’re talking about having cars built in China now. 

If that’s just fine by you, take a few minutes and study the picture here—that’s an apartment building lying down. On its side. Intact. It happened in June while workers were attempting to add an underground (and under building) garage. According to reports, one worker died in the collapse. And as ChinaDaily.com reported, “Improper construction methods are believed to be the reason of last Saturday’s building collapse in Shanghai, according to a report from the investigation team”. Really?

Are you shaking your head yet? This a country that wants to build our cars? Vehicles that will carry our children, our spouses, ourselves? Vehicles that could fail, at a moment’s notice and take out other cars on the road carrying innocent people? 

I don’t think so. 

The building collapse from last June is yet another example of the apparent greed on the part of the Chinese, so Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: China, Chinese exports
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Zhu Zhu Pooh-Poohed

December 10th, 2009. By Hunter West

They’re easily the hottest item on children’s wish list this year: The Zhu Zhu Hamsters. Every kid wants ‘Chunk,’ or ‘Pipsqueek,’ or ‘Num Nums’ under the tree this year. They are the 2009 version of Tickle-Me-Elmo, or the Cabbage Patch Dolls of years gone by. They’re not expensive, retailing for $8 to $10 each. But that’s if you can find them. There’s been a rush to buy them, the US-based manufacturer has cranked up production in China and opportunists—sensing a wave—have bought them up by the box load and have put them up on eBay selling for up to four or five times what they’re worth at retail. 

Little wonder. Did I mention Tickle-Me-Elmo? When your kid wants something sooooooooo badly, and between you and Santa nary a Zhu Zhu can be found, the internet may be your only savior. And there’s no price too high to delight your little girl, or boy Christmas morning. 

The big difference between the Tickle-Me-Elmo phenomenon and this time was the allegation from a consumer watchdog that the Zhu Zhu hamsters are unsafe. GoodGuide, a not-for-profit group with ties to the University of California at Berkeley, rocked the must-have toy world last Friday with allegations that testing done on ‘Mr. Squiggles,’ the light-brown member of the Zhu Zhu quartet, Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: China, Defective Product, Zhu Zhu
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