Is there a real disconnect between China and adherence to quality standards?

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chaosweary

#1
Is there a real disconnect between China and adherence to quality standards or is it just media hype (tires, toothpaste, dogfood, green tea...)? Does the old adage "you get what you pay for" apply here? Do you expect a quality product from China?
 
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Benjamin28

#2
Re: China and Quality

Recent hype has put China under a microscope and brought more and more media attention to defunct products which have been exported, primarily products which are consumed (medical, food products) or are related to safety concerns.

Speaking for myself, I would avoid any consumer item which could concern my personal safety....mainly because they are not as heavily regulated in the field of safety, product testing, etc...and they seem content with that as they haven't in the past been held accountable.

I don't think the entire situation is as big as the media has hyped it up to be though, there are many high quality exports from CHina...take Boeing, they're 787 rudders will be manufactured by China I believe...and you better believe Boeing will ensure those parts are up to snuff.

Anyhow, I'm sure China will improve, overall, as their industry progresses, for now however, yes I am leary about any product that says made in China on it.;)
 
N

noboost4you

#3
Re: China and Quality

Even my stainless steel silverware made in China has begun to rust :(
 

Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Staff member
Admin
#4
Re: China and Quality

I recently heard a news report claiming that Chinese authorities tagged about 20% of its products substandard. Officially there are statements expressing concerns that the outcry is protectionist in nature.

This protectionist idea is a sensitive subject because of the concerns that globalization have risen, including offshoring. So I'll stay away from that.

I can, in all fairness vouch that early U.S. manufactured product was often worrisome, and manufacturing conditions were often what we'd now call scandalous. It has taken many decades to cleanse our environment of the damage done by the Industrial Revolution, with more work yet to do.

Over decades of internal effort by companies and external effort via the regulation mechanism, matters have improved. One might expect the same evolution to occur in any developing country, but the current evolutions are happening at an accelerated pace and there is a great deal more media attention than 100 years ago. The other difference is that we're around to observe it.

Urgent current problems internal to China include the mismatch between food preparation abilities and preservation mechanisms. There aren't refrigiration systems we enjoy here, so preservatives are being used--but not the same preservatives as we use, to many people's dismay, but things like formaldehyde (sp?). We can look at both kinds of mechanisms: cost/profit pressures, and availability of refrigiration and safer (if they are in fact safer) chemicals to preserve foodstuffs. I am not aware if the food manufacturers that use formaldehyde in their product realize it's not healthy for human consumption, because I haven't seen proof.

Then there was that unhappy matter I heard of, baby formula with no nutrients that was said to result in over a dozen infant deaths. :mg: This is a behavioral (choice) and cost/profit pressure matter. I don't know what that formula was made of, but I can only surmise they must have known it would not be nutritious.

So correction certainly seems to be in order. Where a sense of morals/ethics/fair play aren't clearly at work, and where market forces are not sufficient to appropriately protect the public, arguably a strict and well-enforced regulation system is needed. :2cents:
 

Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Staff member
Admin
#5
Re: China and Quality

I don't think the entire situation is as big as the media has hyped it up to be though, there are many high quality exports from CHina...take Boeing, they're 787 rudders will be manufactured by China I believe...and you better believe Boeing will ensure those parts are up to snuff.
My limited time working for a Boeing supplier leaves me to feel unsure about this. I think that a strict and vigorous supplier quality program should be put in place.
 
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C

chergh - 2008

#6
Re: China and Quality

I think the addage "you get what you pay for" does apply. If I buy something at a bargain basement price I am going to be suspicious of the quality, if I buy a Lenovo laptop I expect the quality to be pretty damn good.
 
#7
Re: China and Quality

I don't belive it's a simply a matter of 'Chinese Quality', more that any country that produces cheap(er) products is likely to be an 'emerging' industrial nation. So, whether it is Nigeria, China or any other country, it's more about the maturity of their infrastructure, government's approach to trade, etc. along with the other contributing factors which, ultimately have an impact on the consumer. It's very unfortunate that with such a huge move of manufacturing away from the USA (and other western countries) to places like China, that we, the buying public, are going to have to foot the bill.

Some might say it's because we demand more, for less money. I believe that it's because executives get measured only by $$ results, on Wall Street.......

Will any top exec. ever be remembered for the kinds of failures we see and get labeled as 'Chinese Quality'?? I doubt it!
 

Antonio Vieira

Involved - Posts
Trusted Information Resource
#8
Re: China and Quality

You may have sure that the major fault for these problems is made by western consumers!
We want the same for a cheap price – we get poor quality Chinese products!

Anyway what is happening today with Chine happened 40 years ago with Japan. I remember that when we wanted to say that something was cheap and with poor quality, the logo “Made in Japan” was the key word!

So, lets just hope that China will follow the same road...
 
K

Kwilson

#9
Re: China and Quality

"Even my stainless steel silverware made in China has begun to rust"

- You're in Cleveland, everything rusts in Cleveland.

I have been to China, and I am increasingly leary of the products I buy that say "Made in China"
 

Brizilla

Quite Involved in Discussions
#10
Re: China and Quality

We do machining business with China and the whole experience is like Quality 101. We have to develop each supplier like they are a metals shop out of high school! We have to interpret our prints for them, teach them what hardness is, teach them what finish is etc. The good thing is that we rarely get the same mistake twice from the 2-3 suppliers we use. The bad thing is some of the mistakes that do crop up would almost never happen here just because of standard practices.
 
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