China considers consumer goods safety law

BEIJING - China's quality watchdog is considering a consumer goods safety law for better consumer rights protection, it said Monday.

The draft law will be submitted to the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council for examination by the end of 2015, and will be included in the State Council's legislative work, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

The consumer goods safety law legislation is aimed at intensifying the institutional supervision of consumer goods safety, reducing and preventing consumer goods safety accidents, and safeguarding consumers' rights and interests, said Mei Kebao, deputy head of the AQSIQ.

The consumer goods safety law should be linked with the product quality law and the food safety law, and take into consideration the condition of Chinese enterprises and China's economic and social development, he added.

Tang Wanjin, a member of the leading group for the consumer goods safety law legislation, suggested that the law should highlight the liability of companies and governments, clarify fines and punishments and offer practical supervision methods to improve the efficiency of the consumer goods safety monitoring network.

So far, China has no specific law concerning consumer goods safety. The food safety law took effect on June 1, 2009 and the product quality law took effect on Sept 1, 2000.