Made in China: Policy Analysis and Prescriptions to Improve China's Consumer Product Safety Regulatory Regime
Abstract
China's central government's response to the current challenge of consumer product safety in the food and drug arena could be a determining factor in its ability to sustain robust economic growth over the next decade. Numerous policy prescriptions and an overall framework are proposed here to strengthen China's institutional weakness in relation to the oversight of consumer product safety. However, three measures in particular have the ability to strike at the heart of the consumer product safety dilemma and restore consumer faith in the "Made in China" brand. First, China must stem corruption at the local level by introducing independent regulatory and law enforcement agencies that hold local government leaders and companies accountable. Second, China must permit greater freedom of the press because the media can act as a force multiplier to expose systemic problems of corruption that relate to consumer product safety issues. Finally, China must create an independent judicial system that consistently holds government officials and companies that intentionally violate product safety laws accountable. The implementation of these measures would change the political economy of China at many levels. Their full-scale application would break deeply entrenched patterns of behavior by Chinese Communist Party officials and Chinese companies. Change will not be easy, however, it is necessary if China wants to maintain economic growth and political stability in the medium-term.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA494472
Entities
People
- James A. Mcmullin Iii
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School