Chinese left in cold by greedy global firms

Global Times, March 1, 2011

Toyota has sent another recall announcement to China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (ASQIQ).

This one was for 5,202 faulty cars on the Chinese mainland over gas-pedal issues. These vehicles were not included in the former recall of 1.7 million cars worldwide.

But this time AQSIQ is raking Toyota over the coals for its failure to include the cars in the initial recall.

It's not the first time Toyota has left the Chinese mainland out.

Toyota said that the former recalls excluded the Chinese mainland as "no same defective engines or parts were used there." But this was exposed as untrue after AQSIQ investigated.

The real reason Toyota excluded China from the recalls was not faultless vehicle parts, but discrimination against Chinese consumers.

The Chinese mainland is a critical market for every auto company, and helped many of them to struggle through the financial crisis.

However, considering the generous profits they earn, they fail to deal properly with consumers' rights.

Lots of factors formed the current unfair situation, including prejudice and discrimination and loopholes in the Chinese law. But one key element is the absence of supervision.

Take last year's recall issue for instance. Toyota apologized and made compensation in the US, but recalled only a small number of cars in China.

Only one agency opposed Toyota in China, the Industrial and Commercial Bureau in Zhejiang Province.

Without the protection of laws and authorities, consumers easily become victims of big corporations.

AQSIQ's efficient intervention this time guarded consumers' rights.

However strong a transnational corporation is, it has to bend to the consumers when the local authorities are doing their job properly.

This article was first published?at The Beijing News.

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