More fun from China

[Starseeker]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MATTEL_RECALL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

More "QC" problems.

Mattel Recalls 800,000 Toys Worldwide

By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO
AP Business Writer
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NEW YORK (AP) -- The third major recall by Mattel Inc. of lead-tainted Chinese toys has left the world's largest toymaker fighting to maintain its reputation with the crucial holiday season fast approaching.

Mattel announced late Tuesday it was recalling 800,000 toys, including 675,000 accessories for one of the company's biggest sellers, the Barbie doll. Also part of the recall, the third in just over a month, were 90,000 units of Mattel's GeoTrax locomotive line and about 8,900 Big Big World 6-in-1 Bongo Band toys, both from the company's Fisher-Price brand. The Big Big World products were sold nationwide from July through August of this year, while the GeoTrax toys were sold from September 2006 through August of this year.

Mattel shares dropped more than 3 percent, or 68 cents, to $21.29 at the open of trading Wednesday.

Mattel's last recall, announced on Aug. 14, covered about 19 million toys worldwide. They included Chinese-made toys that either had excessive amounts of lead paint or had small magnets that could easily be swallowed by children.

On Aug. 1, Mattel's Fisher-Price division said it was recalling 1.5 million preschool toys featuring characters such as Dora the Explorer, Big Bird and Elmo because of lead paint. That action included 967,000 toys sold in the United States between May and August.

More at link. This is ironic if you read the following news piece.

http://www.reuters.com/article/TheChinaCentury07/idUSHKG32031820070905

Airbus to source more from China
Wed Sep 5, 2007 4:55AM EDT
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Reporter's Notebook
China Century
Airbus to source more from China
JPMorgan's China JV eyes $1-$2 billion fund
Fortis China eyes $500 mln QDII fund
China rally in early days-Atlantis's Liu
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By Joseph Chaney

HONG KONG (Reuters) - European plane-maker Airbus wants to source more parts from China and grab more market share from arch-foe Boeing (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) in a market it expects to double every five to six years.

The firm owned by EADS (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), which edged ahead of Boeing this year in the annual race to chalk up more sales, plans to buy as much as $400 million worth of parts from Chinese manufacturers by 2015, Airbus China President Laurence Barron told the Reuters China Century Summit.

Despite a global backlash over the quality and safety of goods made on the world's factory floor, Barron said Airbus would source more and more complex aircraft components, such as wings.

They "started out making basic parts like doors, fairly simple stuff. But a wing is about as complex as air structures get," Barron said at the summit, held in Hong Kong.

"The Chinese aviation industry now has the capability to be a world-class supplier.

"In aviation, you cannot compromise quality. You just can't take the risk."

Airbus sources parts from multiple Chinese manufacturers, including Xi'an Aircraft Company (XAC), an affiliate of listed Xian Aircraft International Corp. (000768.SZ: Quote, Profile, Research).

More at link. Price + Market share > Quality?

http://www.reuters.com/article/TheChinaCentury07/idUSPEK29984520070904

Starbucks to source coffee from China
Tue Sep 4, 2007 9:32AM EDT
Photo
Reporter's Notebook
China Century
Airbus to source more from China
JPMorgan's China JV eyes $1-$2 billion fund
Fortis China eyes $500 mln QDII fund
China rally in early days-Atlantis's Liu
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SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O: Quote, Profile, Research), the world's biggest coffee-shop chain, said it planned to source coffee from China for the first time as it expands in a country with more than 5,000 years of tea-drinking culture.

Starbucks has been working with coffee farmers in China's southwestern Yunnan province to help them meet sourcing standards and has sent coffee shipments to the United States for testing, Starbucks China President Wang Jinlong said at the Reuters China Century Summit on Tuesday.

"China does produce some quality coffee," Wang said at the summit, held at the Reuters office in Shanghai.

He added that sourcing coffee from China would start "very soon, maybe in a couple of years".

Some analysts say import tariffs as high as 20 to 60 percent are the reason why companies such as Starbucks are considering sourcing coffee from China.

However, Starbucks' Shanghai-based spokeswoman, Caren Li, said the aim was to add new flavors, not to avoid tariffs.

More at link. So it's time for me to quit Chinese Starbucks, but the Starbucks branches in China aren't "real" Starbucks, since they are the bastard child of a protectionist policy. The service and training of the the personnel is very different. Trust me, expect crappy service when you come to Beijing for coffee.

 

[boer_kameel]

Ok, we won't be drinking in a Starbucks then :p

As if that is the place you would want to visit when going to China... If the beans undergo the same QA as the toys, you could expect some fried brahmin nut extracts in your cup of black!

 

[Starseeker]

http://www.techpowerup.com/

China Announces CH-DVD, a New High Definition DVD Standard
The Optical Memory National Engineering Research Center has announced CH-DVD, a new high definition DVD standard based on the HD DVD but with additional Chinese-owned technology tacked on. This advanced Chinese technology will prevent copying and pirating of CH-DVD content. A new foundation called the China High Definition DVD Industry Association will promote the new format and plan to launch a CH-DVD player in 2008.

Wow, I can't believe China is going to try this again. Let me explain, when they introduce a new "standard" in China, the government can come out and demand compatibility with existing systems/standards. This requires other companies to submit detailed technology papers explaining how their standard/technology work and how it would be compatible. And the Chinese government is more than happy to pass alone these trade secret information to their own companies. It's called stealing intellectual property with government encouragement.

I am really worried about Intel's new chip plant in DaiLan which would be the first factory in China to actually make the cpu core instead of all the inspection and packing plant they have been building. The government's propaganda department put out some spiel about American government restrict free trade because it won't let Intel build the factory there. To be frank, I believe the Chinese government is on a new push to grab more technology and copy it as their own. It's not so much for military use, even though that would be nice. It's all for the mighty RMB. There has been tons of talks in China(I can't believe nobody pays attention to these Chinese news) of establishing a Chinese "standard" so other countries will be forced to be compatible with them instead of the other way around. China simply doesn't believe it needs to abide by the rules and laws of international conventions since they don't do it themselves.(so they don't believe everyone else will either)

Let's see what will happen.

 

[Nology5890]

And, now it's time for us Yanks to get out the nukes. There's another Pacific country that needs a'surrenderin'.

Note: Not a redneck, I like making fun of them.

 

[El_Smacko]

Generally I promote tolerance, respect, and global unity. I abhor needless warfare and the use of nuclear weapons. Im not a pacifist, but have a preference for non-violence, compassion, and diplomacy.

Allow me just to say "Fuck China."

 

[Maphusio]

I'm officially more positive I wont fly in airbus planes. Besides I have to support local business even if they do hate our horrid traffic here and moved their main operations to Chicago.