Are Caribbean countries (still) importing Chinese products banned in the USA?

There seems no end to the growing list of Chinese products being banned by the US government because they contain deadly toxins.

Nevertheless, Chinese government spokesman, Wang Xinpei, tried to redeem confidence in his country’s exports on Wednesday by declaring that, henceforth, China will ensure that its manufacturers are more aware of the “highly sensitive nature of the American consumer”.

Unfortunately, I doubt he’ll inspire much confidence by suggesting that the problem is not so much poisonous Chinese products, as it is weak American stomachs that can’t digest toxic melamine in toothpaste or a little lead from children’s toys.

More troubling, however, he seemed to be implying that the stomachs of consumers in other markets around the world – including the Caribbean – may not be so sensitive. And, if you think this ominous implication is too absurd to be true, consider that Wang left no doubt that products banned in the USA will still be sold in China.

(Incidentally, all of the fuss in America about the poisoning of a few cats and dogs – after eating pet food imported from China – must be as confusing to the Chinese as Americans would be if the Chinese were making a similar fuss about the poisoning of a few cows and pigs. After all, in both cases, the indignant assumption would surely be that the poison would have no effect anyway…once the animals are stewed or roasted!)

Therefore, I urge regional governments to announce what measures they have taken to assure the people of the Caribbean that Chinese products too poisonous for American consumption are not being sold to us.

Indeed, it behooves our leaders to appreciate that some of us are mindful that – after accepting Chinese inducements to abandon diplomatic relations with Taiwan – many of them might now be loath to embarrass the Chinese government, even if it means risking the lives of our citizens.

And, apropos this, perhaps it is instructive that the Dominican Republic wasted no time joining the US in banning the import of tainted Chinese products. After all, it is only one of five Caribbean countries that rejected China’s bribe, em, er, appeal to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Meanwhile, we should all be mindful that the Chinese are not likely to take these body blows to their economy and national pride without retaliating. Indeed, these recalls might constitute the opening salvos in a bipolar trade war between the China and the United States that could be waged for years to come.

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NOTE: My thoughts and prayers go out to fellow islanders who are bracing for Hurricane Dean, which is threatening to destroy their property, if not their lives.

But, in light of e-mail responses to my article on global warming earlier this week, I feel obliged to disabuse anyone of the belief that anthropogenic activities affect the number or severity of hurricanes. Because, just like deadly heat waves, deadly hurricanes have raged in Mother Nature’s cyclical pattern of extreme weather phenomena since the beginning of time.

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