What the hell is wrong with China?

[Pasi Nurminen]

I corrected your statement. Its not exactly as if they have a free press in China now is it?

Actually the Chinese government is keen to stamp out corruption, and being an Asian culture, face is very important. Thus it's common for Xinhua to criticize businesses for corruption, because the loss of face will shame them into reform.

 

[Ramius75]

Only if it becomes more profitable to do so (or, by inverting it, less profitable to not do so).

yup, thats what i like about a free market. eventually, the consumers will still benefits the most...

If there IS a market for unwash disposable chopstick, by all mean. but the "smart" consumer will get to choose. It will be even better if everyone bring their own chopsticks to the restuarant.

I like to highlight that many years ago while working in a high class hotel's kitchen department. Many of the utensils are actually not clean properly or just rinse in hot water. So in this case. Its better not to know whats happening behind the kitchen.

 

[Dann]

but its true, market force will eventually force it to change. the consumers will be more aware.

there's a line between the pragmatic and the unsanitary. don't think its necessary for me to say whether that line has been crossed or not.

Only if it becomes more profitable to do so (or, by inverting it, less profitable to not do so).

Agree to all, but still I would like to think that besides being just businessmen concerned with the bottom line we are first and foremost fellow human beings! "Do unto others..." "Don't do unto others..." and all that. Ask the underground makers of stinky tofu and such: "Would you eat this crap that you're making yourself? No? Why not?" they'd probably just grin and scratch their heads sheepishly.

This caveat emptor mentality is the one aspect of China that really disgusts me. I love the rest of it, but not this.

 

[Verbose]

yup, thats what i like about a free market. eventually, the consumers will still benefits the most...

If there IS a market for unwash disposable chopstick, by all mean. but the "smart" consumer will get to choose. It will be even better if everyone bring their own chopsticks to the restuarant.

I like to highlight that many years ago while working in a high class hotel's kitchen department. Many of the utensils are actually not clean properly or just rinse in hot water. So in this case. Its better not to know whats happening behind the kitchen.

Um, not necessarily I think...

This isn't just about the quality of the product "disposable chopsticks". It's also about the access to quality information about this commodity. And about trust.

If the information is restricted or simply of too low quality and people become aware of a risk here, chances are they will stop using disposable chopsticks. As you say, they will bring their own, or accept the use on non-disposable ones, possibly washed before use in their presence at reatsurants etc.

I mean it, most market operations is about acting on available information and trying to get a crucial piece before everyone else. If the public information avilable isn't seen as reliable, people will fall back on the age old trusted method of rumour. If so, they tend to adapt an over cautious behavior as well. It's like poor Dann no longer trusting the meat-buns. Is this because all meat-buns are actually bad, or the fact that all meat-buns are suspect, due to a deficit of information about them?

If a public starts doubting the quality of a commodity it's entirely possible they will drop it as much as possible, business very much being about trust in some forms. In that case the entire market for disposable chopsticks might well do a magical shrinking act. And most producers being honest isn't going to cut it, if the public don't trust the information circulating about them. And unless there is legal regulation and enforcement, you will always get some people scamming the rest by putting out shoddy products, cutting corners like crazy to make extra profit. Allow them to go on, and they can mess up entire market segments no end. This restricts business, which means there will be less of it.

Granted, disposable chopsticks alone perhaps won't bring the mighty Chinese economic miracle to its knees, but what if it spreads? And what if the Americans et al. buying all that produce decide Chinese stuff can't be trusted and give it a miss, buy American etc., just too be safe? They will be buying the more expensive stuff, meaning they can consume less, meaning less growth here, certainly for China, but they will be buying a form of safety, which is also part of the commodity.

 

[Princeps]

business ethics!

Business has no ethics.

Only regulations... if they are enforced.

 

[Ramius75]

Um, not necessarily I think...

This isn't just about the quality of the product "disposable chopsticks". It's also about the access to quality information about this commodity. And about trust.

If the information is restricted or simply of too low quality and people become aware of a risk here, chances are they will stop using disposable chopsticks. As you say, they will bring their own, or accept the use on non-disposable ones, possibly washed before use in their presence at reatsurants etc.

I mean it, most market operations is about acting on available information and trying to get a crucial piece before everyone else. If the public information avilable isn't seen as reliable, people will fall back on the age old trusted method of rumour. If so, they tend to adapt an over cautious behavior as well. It's like poor Dann no longer trusting the meat-buns. Is this because all meat-buns are actually bad, or the fact that all meat-buns are suspect, due to a deficit of information about them?

If a public starts doubting the quality of a commodity it's entirely possible they will drop it as much as possible, business very much being about trust in some forms. In that case the entire market for disposable chopsticks might well do a magical shrinking act. And most producers being honest isn't going to cut it, if the public don't trust the information circulating about them. And unless there is legal regulation and enforcement, you will always get some people scamming the rest by putting out shoddy products, cutting corners like crazy to make extra profit. Allow them to go on, and they can mess up entire market segments no end. This restricts business, which means there will be less of it.

Granted, disposable chopsticks alone perhaps won't bring the mighty Chinese economic miracle to its knees, but what if it spreads? And what if the Americans et al. buying all that produce decide Chinese stuff can't be trusted and give it a miss, buy American etc., just too be safe? They will be buying the more expensive stuff, meaning they can consume less, meaning less growth here, certainly for China, but they will be buying a form of safety, which is also part of the commodity.

ur talking about branding and trust. I think China got a long way to go to build up its brand. especially with all these foray of recalls. it is quite sad that once mattel recall the toys, nobody care if its made by mattel but blame on China instead.

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

ur talking about branding and trust. I think China got a long way to go to build up its brand. especially with all these foray of recalls. it is quite sad that once mattel recall the toys, nobody care if its made by mattel but blame on China instead.

It's weird, isn't it? When Sony was sued up the wazoo for the rootkit debacle, did everyone start vowing not to buy Japanese products ever again?

 

[plarq]

It's weird, isn't it? When Sony was sued up the wazoo for the rootkit debacle, did everyone start vowing not to buy Japanese products ever again?

But certainly no Sony Music CDs.

 

[.Shane.]

So long as we'll sell our souls to trade with them, expect stuff like this.

 

[Winner]

Obviously another tactic to keep costs as low as possible, oddly, at any cost.

Touché.

Ever wondered why are Chinese goods so cheap? There are many reasons:

- appalling working conditions
- criminally low salaries, bordering on slave labour
- ignorance of international laws, patents, authorship and ownership rights, safety regulations etc.
- state-sanctioned dumping
- pro-export monetary policies

I support free trade, but this is totally ridiculous. I favour free fair trade. This is free criminal trade.

 

[Ramius75]

It's weird, isn't it? When Sony was sued up the wazoo for the rootkit debacle, did everyone start vowing not to buy Japanese products ever again?

yup, its double standard again in the media. but i do have to admit that some Chinese business regulator had it coming, for not punishing the blacksheep enough.

So China really needs to build up its "Brand".

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Also the fact that most people don't know the names of Chinese companies, while they do know those of Japanese companies. Corporations will always try to pass the blame, and the blame trail can go no further, in these cases, than to the production level.