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There is an interesting article in the May 12 issue of Business Week titled “Made in China: MRI Machines”.
The tagline reads “medical device makers are stepping up manufacturing on the Mainland, raising safety concerns”, an allusion to the recent problems with goods imported from China, like toys, etc.
China has a long tradition of manufacturing and engineering, as do have countries like the USA, Germany or Japan. I have no doubt they can produce world-class MRIs.
However, an important trait of the Chinese industry is that vendors tend to deliver according to their exact customers’ requirements. Pay for stellar quality and you will get stellar quality, but pay for lower-than-low-level quality and you will get it too.
In the Western world, most manufacturers would not (and could not) accept an order from a potential client asking to skip some minimum quality requirements. It is different in China, where client is really King.
So, the answer to the question “should China bear the responsibility for the low-level merchandise that swamp the US market?” is definitely no. The responsibility should remain with those Western companies that have engaged into a process of profit maximization at any expense, including the satisfaction of their own customers. These companies will always find a provider prepared to accept any condition to get an order.
The article clearly shows how Western companies willing to pay the fair price can set and get the highest quality standards.
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