September 05, 2007	Wednesday	Sha'aban 22, 1428

BEIJING, Sept 4: China itself will benefit from implementing strict standards on product safety and should not see the European Union’s efforts to protect its consumers as protectionist, the EU’s top competition official said on Tuesday.

Beijing faces growing pressure from its trading partners after a series of scares over products ranging from poisonous pet food and faulty tyres to lead-tainted toys.

The European Commission was not willing to compromise on safety standards, EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes told Reuters after meeting senior Chinese officials in Beijing.

“A product should be safe, and I explained to the Chinese authorities ... that it is also beneficial for them to have such a strict line, for you can’t lose your reputation too often in this field,” Kroes said in an interview.

“It’s nothing to do with protectionism, it’s nothing to do with anti-dumping or whatever,” she said.Kroes’s comments reinforce the EU’s position that it will not hesitate to act to keep faulty goods from entering its markets and expects Beijing to understand that.

The EU’s consumer protection commissioner warned in July that the EU would take measures, even a ban, against Chinese exports if it failed to crack down on makers of dangerous goods.

EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson warned late last month the bloc would contest “in the strongest terms” any attempt by Beijing to use safety issues as a pretext for retaliatory measures.

China has announced a series of campaigns to clean up its manufacturing sector. In the latest move, Agriculture Minister Sun Zhengcai said on Monday that Beijing would clamp down on foods tainted with illegal and excessive chemicals.—Reuters