By Michael Kennedy
In the wake of Mattel Inc.’s 18.6 million toy recall, all from China, it is time to reconsider our relationship with China. China’s egregious behavior should preclude the United States from trading with them, or at the very least, strip them of most-favored-nation status.
March saw the recall of pet foods originating in China, which may have led to thousands of pet deaths. This led to a larger Federal Drug Administration investigation that suggested Chinese animal feed, intended for both domesticated animals and for livestock to be delivered to the United States, contained a combination of cyanuric acid and melamine.
When combined, these ingredients are potentially lethal, but it appears they were added simply to bolster the protein content of the feed to garner a higher price.
It’s not just pets we should be worried about. On June 1, an FDA alert instructed consumers to throw away any tube of toothpaste made in China, as a number of brands had been found to contain diethylene glycol, a toxic ingredient that can be found in products less palatable, such as antifreeze.
This was followed by the FDA banning five types of seafood from China, after they had failed repeated tests for contaminates. Later that month, 450,000 Chinese tires were recalled, after reports of their treads separating.
And then there are the toys. Just last week, Mattel Inc. issued their second major toy recall of Chinese products containing either lead paint or magnets that can be lethal if swallowed
The Chinese government promises to crack down on factories producing shoddy goods, but they don’t have the organization necessary to do that. Many inspectors are bribed, while others are taken to model factories, while the real factory is at another location. American factories have lists of regulations, and the American government has the ability to enforce them.
Meanwhile, the American trade deficit with China in 2005 increased 25 percent from 2004, reaching $201 billion. Think of how many American jobs have to be outsourced to enable such a staggering figure. When asked to reevaluate their currency, a move which would garner a higher price for American exports to China, the Chinese government threatened to sell some U.S. assets (which would be really stupid). If they’re not going to play ball, why should we?
Is an embargo with another country really even feasible in today’s globalized economy? For 45 years, the United States has been embargoing Cuba with the intent of democratizing the country. Why not employ a similar strategy with China? Not only is China communist, but they’re doing plenty of other objectionable stuff.
Their human rights record is horrible. They have an unusually high rate of cases ending with a death penalty, and Chinese prisoners are often tortured. No political opposition is tolerated. China oppresses freedom of religion and ethnic rituals, particularly in the region of Tibet.
For the Olympics, China has evicted 1.5 million people, many without compensation. Combine all of that with their oppressive one-child policy, their lax environmental policies and the knowledge that they are selling arms to the Sudanese militants to use against civilians, and you have a pretty strong case for an embargo.
In the short term, a trade embargo with China would hurt the U.S., and prices would increase. However, with time, American unemployment rates would drop, and quality goods would flourish in lands where government regulations actually matter.
