How will things sort out when it comes to dangerous goods being imported from China? Will a new agreement be enough to protect consumers?
First it was the pet foods. Then ginger. Now, there are problems with seafood coming out of China.
And, loads of toys were recalled. Who would imagine that Thomas the Tank Engine might be dangerous? I'm glad my boys are past the toy stage. I'd hate to think they were losing IQ points or getting sick, because they were playing with toys coated in lead paint.
Clearly, we have some problems. Everyone wants cheap prices, and China delivers on that. Of course, they have some serious human rights issues. Just this week, the government released information that the average age of death for police officers in China is 43 years.
China executed Zheng Xiaoyu last month in an effort to show the world that the country was committed to cleaning up the trade problems. Xiaoyo served in a position similar to the head of the FDA in the United States. He took bribes and allowed unsafe drugs on the market (including tainted toothpaste).
Apparently China and the United States have come to some sort of agreement but are still ironing out the details on food safety and trade. The details have not been made public.
Government intervention may be too little, too lat. A poll indicated that 63% of Americans would likely particpate in a boycott of Chinese food goods. That would be difficult, since labeling does not always indicate where goods originate.
The presidential candidates are also checking in with thoughts on trade with China. The safety of our food, our toys as well as jobs in the United States are involved, so it's a good idea to know how potential leaders plan to deal with China and trade.
