Unbelievable.

China allows the manufacture and export of formaldahyde-impregnated plywood, but does not allow it to be used domestically. The only foreign customer that permits its import - the US !

That is quite possible the stupidest thing I have heard all month.

Wait ....... yep, its the stupidest.

Living in Beijing right now, it is too easy to see China's contradictions. I can walk or bike to a nearby organic market (http://www.lohaocity.com/English/Index.asp) and buy reasonably priced local organic produce, but as soon as I step outside and look up I will be ever reminded of China's antiquated coal power plants that aid to my lack of suntan.

So we'll be dead--but will have saved some money!

Just another dumb Laowai spouting off about China based upon false assumptions.

Nah, she's doing worse than that. She's speaking out of ignorance of her own ignorance.

She's a covergirl for dumbed down news coverage in the USA.

Could one hope that she was being facetious?

Either that or someone chewed on too much lead paint as a kid.

I just called CNBC to say WTF. If anyone else would like to the # is 800-788-2622.

The consensus on dailykos is that she is completely serious.

Though her quotation lacks depth and economic, the point she is making (but not making very well) is important: our consumption of Chinese goods affects realities in China, and consumers should be expected to pay prices consummate with the quality of the products we want.

If we cared for China's environment as much as we supposedly care for our own, we would accept higher prices on goods in order to finance a clean-up of China's messy fossil fuel energy. If we took climate change seriously we would be cooperating with China to invest massively in alternative energy rather than sitting by as two coal plants go into operation there every day. Shanxi is a grotesque smog field because other countries import things produced with coal-based energy that is cheap because plants are poorly regulated.

Economically, an important argument against yuan revaluation is that it would indeed make Chinese exports more expensive in other markets. The argument that revaluation would have little effect because Chinese producers primarily process imported raw materials ignores labor costs, which are rising.

Myself, I welcome higher prices for Chinese goods, which could potentially bring improved conditions for Chinese workers, improved emissions controls and regulation of content of toys and food and such, and reduced incentive for wasteful consumption on the part of U.S. residents.

More likely, though, U.S. importers would continue to move on to other sources from which they can source products cheaply.

The comment is obviously ridiculous for all who read it. And I am sure that if she were to hear someone else make the comment, she too would say it is ridiculous. My gut feeling tells me she simply got into a talking frenzy, her brain temporarily disconnected, and her mouth took over - and out spilled those comments. But now those comments are on public record, so rather than look like she can't think when she talks she will finesse the accidental nonsense that came out of her mouth. I wouldn't push her into a corner. I feel that we probably all sometimes say things without careful thought that on closer inspection we utterly regret. And I am fairly certain that she regrets that comment. Let's leave it at: Deeply unfortunate comments - we are all human.

Yes, the lady made a mistake by saying that "lead paint" thing, but she has a point. People here in US enjoying the low prices tend to forget quality and ethics come with price. Once the manufacturers in China become more mature and more regulated, prices of their products more or less go up, then the consumers here will complain about the inflation because no other developing countries are able to replace China in such a massive scale (think about the fast developing infrastructure and the huge labor force in China).

Oh, people also forget that US personal savings rate has been down to around negative territory, guess who is footing the bill? China now is a leading creditor to US. Don't be a hypocrite when the majority of American people still enjoy the low mortgage rate and the low inflation rate. Take an example of the gas price. People constantly complain about it, yet most people here still perfer large size vehicles. Just look at how popular the large SUV/trucks are. I hate hypocrites. If you complain about the gas price or the dependence on foreign oil, stop driving the gas guzzlers; otherwise, stop whining and bite the bullet.

BTW, capital always pursues low cost and high profit. That's how capitalism works. America is a capitalist society and the people here are mostly proud of it and in turn hate its opposite (socialism or communism). Unfortunately, globalism is the global maximization of capitalism in the modern world. That's the price you have to pay for sticking with capitalism. You just can't play it both ways.

>>Myself, I welcome higher prices for Chinese >>goods, which could potentially bring improved >>conditions for Chinese workers, improved >>emissions controls and regulation of content of >>toys and food and such, and reduced incentive >>for wasteful consumption on the part of U.S. >>residents.

Actually you're wrong. Higher prices will only be used to fuel China's military. Improve conditions for workers, improved emissions??? Please...this is China we are talking about.