Re: 'Made In China' Has To Be Safer, Editorial, Aug. 23
The Chinese government promises to strengthen regulation of product
safety and punish severely those who manufacture sub-standard stuff
that is dangerous and unhealthy. But the issue is not simply greedy
factory owners who put maximizing their profits over the public good
or government inspectors who can be bribed or intimidated to look the
other way.
The more fundamental cause is systemic. Under China's one-party
dictatorship, nongovernmental organizations, such as consumer
advocacy groups, are not allowed to form. Journalists who expose
malfeasance are charged with "false reporting" or "endangering state
security." The judiciary is not independent of government, so the
powerful are always protected. The upshot is that when buying a
bottle of water made in China one is never absolutely sure that the
water inside the bottle is safe to drink.
The other negative characteristic of China's current political system
is that no one truly represents the interests of ordinary Chinese
people. When China's Communist Party abandoned Marxist ideology 20
years ago, it evidently also abandoned its commitment to furthering
social justice.
So until China achieves democracy, I'm brushing my teeth with
Canadian paste.
Charles Burton, associate professor, Department of Political Science,
Brock University, St. Catharines