Henry,s Writing NOTES

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Henry Bai

1208001

Professor Darras

Basic English Writing 1

21 December 2013

Why Do Many People Think Foreign Products Are Better

In recent years, milk powder of foreign brands is very popular among Chinese

parents. It reports that milk powder of foreign brands is occupying the market share of

nearly 80% by July 2013, while the share in the high-end milk powder market has

even reached more than 90%. (China Business News) And according to a survey

made by a famous market research firm Ac Nielsen from 2010 to 2011, 77% Chinese

milk powder consumers tend to choose foreign brands. (Ac Nielsen) To some degree,

all of theses information reflects that many people in China think foreign products,

especially products from western countries, like America，France or German, are of

better quality. Most of us will probably ask: why do many people in China think so?

As for this question, I think this idea is caused by three reasons: the different level of

technologies, the different level of legal system, and historical reason.

①As the data from UNESCO shows, most western countries are developed

countries that own lots of advanced technologies. But China is a developing country

with a low level of technologies in most areas. That ensures that most foreign Bai 2

companies can make same kind of products of a better quality. I am not saying that all

technologies of making products in China are not as good as western countries’, I just

evaluate it in a general perspective.

For example, many people in China prefer to buy cars from German or France

makers instead of native makers if they have enough money. According to the

statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s

Republic of China, from January to July 2013, Passenger cars of native brands have

an average market share of 40.2%, while passenger cars of foreign brands have 49.8%.

In decreasing order, these foreign passenger cars are mainly from Germany, Japan, the

U.S., South Korea and France. Usually foreign passenger cars are more expensive

than Chinese passenger cars in China, but these foreign cars have a bigger share of

passenger car market. Actually, these foreign passenger cars are famous for their

reliability and safety. But many Chinese passenger cars can’t meet the standards for

safety and reliability set by Chinese consumers because of lacking some key car

manufacturing technologies.

A study by Professor Yao Hongli of Capital University of Economics and

Business shows that “The marketization of the Chinese car industry started from the

reform and opening-up in 1978. We have exchanged civil market profit for technology

with foreign car making companies for nearly 20 years. Now, China still falls behind

in some key areas of car production technology”(Yao). Western countries like

Germany or France have a longer history of making cars which leads to a high level

of car manufacturing technology. In most areas, we are forced to admit the truth that Bai 3

western products are of better quality, though sometimes we are not willing to do that.

Besides, a survey released by China Automotive News in 2012 indicates that

64% people prefer foreign cars because they think high level of technologies in those

western countries makes their cars more reliable and safer (China Automotive News).

Thus, we can say that belief in the technological level of western countries plays a

great role in the forming of the idea that foreign products are better.

②Another factor is the difference in the legal systems of China and western

countries. Product quality safety laws in most foreign countries are more detailed and

stricter than in China, which leads to that the act of making or selling fake and shoddy

goods that in most foreign countries will be punished more severely. Take the United

States for example: on March 6, 2008, the U.S. senate passed Consumer Product Safety

Improvement Act. According to the act, any person who knowingly violates Consumer

Product Safety Act, Federal Hazardous Substances Act or Flammable Fabrics Act, shall

be subject to a civil penalty of up to $250,000 for each incident. Besides, the sum of the

civil penalties can reach to $20,000,000. However, according to the Product Quality

Law of The People’s Republic of China, the penalty of violating product quality laws

varies from 50% to 3 times of the value of the goods that have been made or sold.

Actually, the law is less accurate and specific, which increases the chance of

Department of Industrial and Commercial Management giving a less but not deserved

penalty and obtaining illegitimate interests. There is more space in China to bend the