Eight ministry-level departments have launched a yearlong
nationwide crackdown on counterfeit products.
Documents released jointly by the departments yesterday said the
aim is to clear China's markets of fake and poor-quality products
and rebuild consumer confidence.
Law-enforcement and quality-supervision departments will be the
major forces in the anti-counterfeiting campaign. Enterprises or
shops found to have been involved in manufacturing or selling fake
or poor-quality products will be severely punished according to
State laws and regulations.
In
January, the focus will be on vulnerable rural markets in the
run-up to the Lunar New Year, which falls on February 1 this
year.
Quality supervisors will be sent to rural areas this month to check
the quality of food supplies.
The campaign will widen its scope in February, when nearly all
kinds of products that affect consumers' interests will undergo
spot checks.
A
highlight of the campaign will be March 15, Consumer's Day, when a
series of publicity activities will be held across the country to
call for the better protection of consumers' interests.
In
March, the campaign will enter a new stage. Consumers and
enterprises will then be urged to play an active part in the
campaign by providing useful information to quality-supervision
departments. Members of the public can call the special telephone
numbers 12315, 12365 and 12358.
Quality supervision will enter cyberspace this year. Enterprises or
stores found to have used fraud will be named on the Internet.
Anyone with access to the Internet will be able to check the
information online.
(China Daily January 3, 2002)