The Chinese - to take the nationality currently best known for producing shoddy goods - are perfectly capable of high-quality manufacturing. However, when foreign company X asks Chinese company Y to submit a bid for the production of certain X-branded goods, and fails to specify in exact detail what materials are to be used and standards to be applied, Y: (1) is justified in assuming that X doesn’t really care about those materials or standards; (2) is incentivized to keeps its costs down (thereby allowing it to submit a competitive bid) by using the cheapest materials and techniques available; (3) has no particular “pride” (i.e., concern about the long-term reputational risk of using cheap metals and similar cost-cutting), given that the goods will be sold under X’s brand name. It’s interesting to reflect that in much of the latter half of the previous century, both Japanese and South Korean products had poor reputations. Their QC is now excellent, and currently their products are much-valued. One wonders if a similar pattern will eventually apply to Chinese production.
I have no doubt that Chinese production standards are quite high when the context requires it. The idea of Chinese goods as 'shoddy' is quite anachronistic, and has lasted long after the reality changed, as was the case long ago with regard to Japanese production. I am old enough to remember when 'made in Japan' meant cheap but low quality, until it became among the best in the world. I know of many Chinese examples. On the other hand, it's a huge country, the world is a huge market, and there is always a continuum, so to speak, depending on requirements.
