China cracks down on shoddy toys

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More than 700 toy factories in southern China have been banned from exporting products as part of a crackdown on shoddy goods, the government has said.

Of 1,726 plants inspected in Guangdong province, 764 had their licences revoked because of "quality problems".

The move follows widespread reports of dangerous or faulty Chinese exports, including toys tainted with lead.

The world's biggest toy firm, Mattel, recalled about 18 million China-made products last month.

The toys - including Barbie doll accessories and train sets - were found to have been decorated with paint containing too much lead, the US company said.

Guangdong's provincial government said in a statement that 764 factories had been found to have "various quality problems", and their licences had been taken away.

A further 690 factory bosses were ordered to renovate their plants and improve product quality.

There are said to be about 5,000 toy-making enterprises in Guangdong, accounting for about 80% of China's toy exports last year.

Following the inspections, Chinese officials insisted 99% of the province's exports were up to standard, state media reported.

After a succession of recalls of exports ranging from tyres to toothpaste, health minister Chen Zhu last month insisted Beijing was "highly sensitive" to concerns over product safety.

"I want to tell everyone that they can have confidence in the quality of Chinese products and food safety," he said.