"Some foreign media, especially those based in the United States, have wantonly reported on so-called unsafe Chinese products," said Li Changjiang, the head of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, during an inspection of a food enterprise on July 15. "They are turning white to black."
On August 1, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte that China didn't want the product scandals related to the country's exports to be exaggerated. "We also oppose politicizing the issue of Chinese products and oppose trade protectionism and trade discrimination," Yang was quoted as saying.
Weeks later, Li struck out again on national TV, calling the toy recall a plot to hurt China. "Demonizing Chinese products, or talking of the Chinese product threat, I think, is simply a new form of trade protectionism," he said. He didn't explain how Mattel — which stands to lose millions of dollars and faces possible legal suit — benefits from the move or would want to hurt its main supplier.
In July, an undercover journalist with a hidden camera claimed to have secretly filmed a restaurant making baozi, or meat buns, stuffed with chemically treated, finely chopped cardboard. The story appeared on Beijing TV and CCTV before officials declared it a hoax. Within weeks, the reporter was arrested and sentenced to one year in prison, with scanty details of the case made public. Discussion of the tainted buns was soon wiped off the internet.
And to make sure there was no further local reporting on any food issues, Beijing propaganda officials in August announced a crackdown on "false" news reports and handed Chinese media heads a list of taboo topics. Not surprisingly, food safety topped the list.
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