Democratic 2008 front-runner Hillary Clinton on Tuesday blamed China for a tide of millions of toy exports which she warned could be defective and endanger American children at Christmas.
The former first lady also recalled how she had “stood up” to the Beijing government in 1995 at an international conference on women on a day in which she ridiculed her Democratic rival Barack Obama’s foreign policy credentials.
“One of the things I don’t believe we should have to worry about is the safety of our food that is served for Thanksgiving or the toys that we buy our children for Christmas,” Clinton told a crowd of Iowa voters by telephone. [Full Text]
See also “How to Find Safe Toys”Even From China” from USA Today and “China takes action on toy safety” from the BBC, which says:
China fully investigated 184 cases of dangerous products in the three-month period, compared with 84 cases in two previous reports, carried out in July this year and December last year.
In 43% of cases, “corrective measures” were taken, in some cases stopping the export of the unsafe products.
In Guangdong province alone – where most Chinese toys are made – more than 750 toy manufacturers have had their export certificates suspended or revoked.