More than two-thirds of Americans surveyed lack confidence in the safety of Chinese goods, but concerns about the safety of Chinese-made products are overblown, according to members of the Committee of 100 (Beverly Hills, Calif.), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization for leading Chinese-American professionals.

“The food and product safety issue is impacting U.S.-China trade,” said Gen. John L. Fugh, chairman of the organization. “We hope to facilitate open discussions on this issue from both the American and Chinese perspectives to find shared solutions. It’s important to bring together different perspectives so we can speed up the time for China to regain the confidence of the American consumer.”

“The Chinese government pays great attention to product quality and food safety,” said Li Yuanping, director general of China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. “ ‘Made in China’ is a brand of trust. The majority of Chinese goods are trustworthy. Reports from the media are groundless. One-sided reporting often causes misunderstanding.”

“We have seen the benefits of China’s enhanced enforcement [of standards] in recent months and applaud their efforts,” said Laura Phillips, chief toy officer for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Bentonville, Ark.). “We take our relationships with our suppliers very seriously. The bottom line is that the best suppliers make the best products.”

After an audit of its Chinese suppliers, Wal-Mart found that 99.99 percent of its products were safe, Phillips said. [July 2008 PET AGE]