Mar. 20 – Signs assuring customers that fruit, vegetables and other consumable products are not imported from China are beginning to pop up in wet markets across Asia, especially in Vietnam, due to an ensuing problem with heavily contaminated fruit originating from China.
Several regional newspapers throughout Hanoi, Manila and Jakarta have carried stories of Chinese products which contain dangerous levels of pesticides and preservatives. Due to this, local shoppers have scrambled to buy either local produce or produce imported from either Australia or the United States.
As a result, importers of Chinese products have been hit hard. One Vietnamese trader was even left with 10 whole containers of Chinese fruit that were just left to rot after not being able to find any buyers. The trader, Jack Nguyen, stated that his sales of Chinese imported fruit and vegetables dropped almost 50 percent from US$11 million in 2011 to US$6 million last year. Mr Nguyen has since updated his supply chain to include more Australian produce.
The problem is not just confined to consumables. In the wake of a number of territorial spats with several neighboring countries over the past few months, sales of Chinese computer games and internet chat programs have also faced consumer boycotts, even leading some stores to display signs affirming that there are “No Chinese Goods” in their establishments for sale.
The sentiments may be mutual, however. Recently in Beijing it was reported that in a Chinese supermarket there was a sign that stated “Japanese, Vietnamese and Filipino customers and dogs are not welcome.” The sign was subsequently removed from the store window.
The rise of nationalism has the potential downside of sparking similar reactions against Chinese goods and products elsewhere across Asia. As such, the Chinese Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Commerce, and Customs all have something to think about in order to put these problems to rest, and to ensure that dangerous Chinese products are not distributed throughout the country, Asia or any other market.
