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Chinese choose foreign-made toys for their children

SHANGHAI, China - When freelance writer Wang Jian shops for toys for her 5-year-old son, she's happy to pay extra for Legos and Japanese-brand train sets.

The reason, she and other parents say: Foreign brands enjoy a reputation for higher quality - a perception reinforced by the product scares of recent months.

"We pay close attention to the news about toy and food safety. If I find a problem with a certain brand, I will just stop using it for sure," said Wang, who writes for film magazines.

China may be Santa's global workshop, but when it comes to buying playthings for their own children, Chinese families who can afford it opt for foreign-brand toys - even if they are made in China.

Quality and safety issues are drawing more attention as incomes rise and upwardly mobile Chinese grow more health conscious. While virtually all toys on the market, whether foreign or domestic brands, are made in China, factories making foreign brands are assumed to abide by more rigorous standards to screen out lead paint and other harmful materials.

Nationwide, most Chinese families devote less than $10 a year to toys, according to industry estimates. But families in Shanghai, Beijing and other major cities spend more than that in a month, according to a study by the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council.

"Sure, foreign brand toys are about 40 percent to 50 percent more expensive than domestic ones, but I think it's worthwhile," said Wang, who raises her son with her computer engineer husband.

"The design is much better, unlike domestic-brand toys that kids get bored with quickly because the quality isn't good. Plus, they break easily," she said.

Tales of poor quality Chinese toys abound - dolls whose heads fall off, bicycles that rust and puzzles that don't fit together. Such products are rarely seen in Western markets since the quality is far below what a foreign buyer would accept.

Lin Yan, a professor at Shanghai International Studies University, throws away gifts to her daughter that she suspects are unsafe.

"Sometimes they have indescribable odors," she said.

[Last modified December 15, 2007, 01:34:03]