By Editorial Desk

From the 1930s to the 1950s, the label 'Made in Japan' was practically a brand for cheap but low-quality goods. Since then, Japan's industries have made great advances in technology and quality control, and now Japanese goods are at par with, if not even better than, American and European merchandise. Now, it is the 'Made in China' label that is perceived as a brand for cheap but shoddy goods.

Over the years there have been complaints about goods made in China, but it is only now that a worldwide furor has occurred over a particular kind of merchandise. The uproar over melamine-laced milk manufactured in China has pointed up the fact that goods made with certain chemicals to make them appear better or to give them a longer shelf life can truly and literally kill. Tainted milk has killed four babies and made 53,000 others ill in China.

Complaints about tainted Chinese products started to gain intensity last year. In April 2007 the US Food and Drug Administration discovered through tests that cats and dogs had been poisoned by Chinese pet food ingredients tainted with melamine. Melamine is a toxic industrial chemical that can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure.

The FDA began warning consumers about lead paint in toys, defective tires and toothpaste containing diethylene glycol, a toxic ingredient found in antifreeze. In June 2007 China closed down 180 food factories after inspectors found that industrial chemicals such as formaldehyde were being used to make candies, pickles, crackers and seafood. Formaldehyde is a disinfectant and preservative that is believed to cause cancer in human beings.

In the Philippines, one high-profile case suspected to have involved a Chinese-made product was the death in a fire of the daughter of then-Speaker Jose de Venecia. The fire was believed to have started from a Christmas tree lighted up by defective decorations made in China. In July 2007 the Bureau of Food and Drugs began examining more than 800 products from China, including cosmetics, toothpaste, candies and cookies. Recently, Health Secretary Francisco Duque ordered several dairy products and milk products with ingredients from China to be taken off grocery shelves.

The question is often asked: Can people do without goods made in China or products whose parts or ingredients were made in China? It appears that the answer to that question is "no" because China has become the factory of the world. Name almost any product that is bought and used today throughout the world - from candies to computers - and if it was not manufactured in China, then at least one ingredient or one part was made in its factories.

Journalist James Fallows has said that Americans complain about "cheap junk pouring out of Chinese mills, but they rely on China for a lot that is not junk, and whose cheap price is important to American industrial and domestic life". And cheap Chinese goods have made it possible for the people of developing countries to buy goods that otherwise they would not be able to afford if these were imported at higher prices from the developed world.

China has become the factory of the world because of its low wage level which has made it possible for its products to be competitive with the products of other countries. In Guangdong, for instance, the minimum wage is US$5.86 a day, a little higher than the $5.54 a day in Bangkok. In Manila, the non-agricultural minimum wage is about $8.17 a day, and in South Korea, $24 a day.

Labor may be cheap in China, but it is its being cheap and efficient that has fueled the fast growth of its economy. In the process, shortcuts have been taken, some ingredients have been used to make some products look better and have a longer shelf life, and some substandard parts have been used in making some goods.

It is to China's credit, however, that it is acting fast to salvage the reputation of its products. Last week, it embarked on a sweeping drive to set up a series of new food testing centers and replace outdated equipment. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao promised to ensure that the 'Made in China' brand is safe for consumers at home and abroad. "We will make the entire 'Made in China' brand worry-free and reputable for both the Chinese and the people across the world," Wen said. The world, which has become dependent on cheap, affordable products made in China, can only hope that the situation will be remedied, that China will follow the route taken by Japan, and that henceforth, quality and safety will not be sacrificed for price and profit.