By Zhu Zhe (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-09-22 08:42

Thomas Debrowski (L), Mattel's executive vice president of worldwide operations, hold talks with Li Changjiang (R), head of China's top agency in charge of supervising product quality, in Beijing September 21, 2007. US toy giant Mattel issued an apology to China Friday, saying the vast majority of recent recalls of Chinese-made products were due to design flaws it had committed itself. [AFP]

A senior executive of Mattel, the world's largest toymaker, apologized on Friday for damaging China's reputation after the company's recent massive recalls of made-in-China toys, admitting that most of the items were defective because of design instead of manufacturing flaws.

The gesture by Thomas Debrowski, Mattel's executive vice-president for worldwide operations, came in a meeting in Beijing with China's top quality control official Li Changjiang.

"Our reputation has been damaged lately by these recalls," Debrowski told Li, adding that he also realized that damage had been done to the reputation of Chinese goods.

"Mattel takes full responsibility for these recalls and apologizes personally to you, the Chinese people and all of our customers," he said.

Mattel ordered three high-profile recalls in the past five weeks of about 21 million Chinese-made toys including Barbie doll accessories and toy cars because of concerns about lead paint and tiny magnets that could be swallowed.

"But it's important for everyone to understand that the vast majority of those products that we recalled were the result of a flaw in Mattel's design, not through a manufacturing flaw in Chinese manufacturers," Debrowski said.

A Mattel statement released after the meeting suggested that 17.4 million toys had been recalled because of loose magnets - a design flaw - and those recalled because of impermissible levels of lead numbered 2.2 million.

A research paper recently released by two Canadian business professors also showed that about 80 percent of the 550 toy recalls in the United States in recent years were because of design faults instead of manufacturing defects.

"Certainly, some of the problems were made in China, but our analysis on at least toy recalls suggests that the majority of the problems originated on the other side," CanWest News Service quoted University of Western Ontario business professor and report co-author Paul Beamish as saying.

"If we're going to point fingers, point them in the right direction."

Mattel also admitted in the statement that it had recalled more lead-tainted Chinese toys than was justified.

"Mattel is committed to applying the highest standards of safety for its products. Consistent with this, Mattel's lead-related recalls were overly inclusive, including toys that may not have had lead in paint in excess of US standards," it said.

"The follow-up inspections also confirmed that part of the recalled toys complied with the US standards."

Li said he appreciated Mattel's objective and responsible attitude toward the recalls and its sincere attitude toward future development in China.

He said although Chinese manufacturers did not share the major responsibility, the government has still put toy safety high on agenda.

He revealed that more than 300 toy exporters had been banned from operating in a recent crackdown on unsafe toys. Four Chinese who were suspected of supplying fake paint to a Mattel contract toy factory in China are being held in criminal custody.

Agencies contributed to the story