China is the world's largest source and market for counterfeit goods and the poor-quality products that it makes will seriously hurt its economy and pose a major latent threat to public security, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Vice Chairman You Ying-lung (
Citing the finding of a report commissioned by the MAC, You said that due to the Chinese authorities' lax controls, about 70 percent of the world's bootleg products come from China, ranging from brand-name clothing to medicine. Nearly 90 percent of consumers have purchased such fake products, he claimed.
Quoting statistics compiled by China's General Administration of Quality Supervision and Quarantine, You said that counterfeit goods worth a total of 11.1 billion yuan (US$1.34 billion) were seized by Chinese law enforcement authorities from April 2001 to October last year, posing great losses to consumers and original producers.
According to the report, China's increased counterfeiting has seriously hit many worldwide famous brands and it has become an international issue.
Estimates show that US enterprises suffer as much as US$250 billion in business losses each year due to mainly China-made counterfeit products, according to the report, which added that various upscale brand names have halted plans to enter the Chinese market as a result.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
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