Mattel apology angers some Chinese...
This is actually a personal email, written by my girlfriend, I thought I'd share. As I mentioned before, she works as a journalist at one of Beijing's top daily newspapers. This is regarding Mattel's apology to China for design-flaws in some of its toys. Originally, China was criticized for sub-standard quality control procedures, but Mattel has since concluded it was at fault. I have left the email intact, without any edits. Just thought it might be interesting to share one person's opinion, which followed this line in a news story she sent me: "The Chinese manufacturers of the toys were not to blame for the massive recalls, a senior Mattel executive said during talks in Beijing."
How can the American people do whatever they want ? and why they always right ? can you murder a people and said , oh yeah , I killed a wrong person, sorry , and leave and by happy again ? That's what the Americans did, there are so many chinese workers laid off due to the recall , and there is a boss of a small factory suicide . what do you think about that ? Nothing is fair .
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Dude, you should stop making your girlfriend look so bad. If my girlfriend was so ignorant and patently nationalistic, I would at least keep it on the DL.
Haha DD, good point. My theory: 'life's a bitch. Buy a helmet.'
I partly agree with your girlfriend's sentiments. The majority of the toys were recalled because of Mattel's own design faults and the blame has been unfairly laid on China.
However, in the tragic case of Lee Der - the first of these Mattel safety scares, that led to the manager's suicide - it was Lee Der itself and its Chinese suppliers who are most to blame. It was the suppliers who deceitfully used lead paint. Most of the anger, in that case, should be directed closer to home. Such dangerous dishonesty is far too common and it kills a lot more Chinese people than foreign dogs and cats. Workers and consumers are poisoned, the rivers, lakes and sea are dying, and hospitals are making fat profits from knowingly harming their patients.
I actually agree with her in this case, as well. (Although we usually disagree, I hasten to add). The fallout on China's reputation, workers, and international image was immense, not to mention the suicide. Saying "sorry" doesn't really cut it in this case.
Lets remember that the majority of all these recalls (not just Mattel) are due to shortcuts on the China side (i.e. lead paint) and the failure of the government to police industry on both sides of the Pacific. I agree that western multinationals and distributors share the blame. In Mattel's case, their apologizing was a political act to give the Chinese government face, which was very well received. Here's a great write-up of the Mattel - Der Lee case from Caijing.
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