THE WORLD - Chinese angered by criticism of their toys - Many have an earful for Obama, who called for a ban on imports: If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for U.S.
BEIJING — At the Hongqiao toy market, the name "Barack Obama" doesn't roll easily off the tongue and indeed few people know who he is. But when they hear what he said, they have choice words for him, some of them unprintable.
The senator suggested a ban on all toy imports from China during an economic roundtable in New Hampshire last week. Although his presidential campaign backpedaled soon afterward, Obama and other Democratic candidates have made similar statements before calling for at the very least sharp restrictions on Chinese-made toys.
China last year exported $17.8 billion worth of toys, 37% of them to the United States, according to the China Toy Assn. The country manufactures 80% of the world's toys.
But in recent months, amid a series of disturbing revelations about contaminated Chinese products, including pet food and toothpaste, toys have been a major source of safety worries, especially concerning lead paint. Yet anything that threatens China's pocketbook and national pride predictably raises tempers.
"Americans are only picking on us because our economy is doing well and we're getting the Olympics," said Chen Xuehua, 35, who was selling toys on Christmas Eve at Hongqiao market.
The saleswoman is from Guangdong province, which is in effect the real-life Santa's workshop, the toy manufacturing hub of China. Raised in a poor rural family, she had no toys as a child, which may contribute to her misty-eyed view of toys today. She sees Chinese toys as a great boon to all parties, bringing wealth to China and spreading happiness among children around the world.
"Chinese children love these toys, foreign children love these toys. What's the problem?" said Chen, lovingly fingering the "Made in China" label on a blue squishy plastic thing of undefinable shape.
Although Christmas is not the retailing extravaganza here that it is in the United States, the market was busy on the eve of the holiday with Chinese shoppers emulating the Western tradition. Their view could best be summed up as: If it's good enough for our children, it should be good enough for yours.
"Isn't it inevitable that there is a trade-off between price and quality?" said Li Chenzi, 36, a U.S.-educated woman shopping with her 5-year-old daughter. "Of course, Chinese toys will not have the same safety standard."
