‘Substandard Chinese Goods Not Flooding Brunei Market’
By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan - The outgoing Chinese envoy brushed off claims that substandard goods from China are flooding the Brunei market. Ambassador Ms Yang Yanyi told the Bulletin that majority of the products imported from abroad including China are of good quality, if not top quality.

"Since my association with Brunei, I am aware that Brunei is very particular about quality and standards, and would not import things that are of low quality. So to say that substandard products are flooding the Brunei market is not factual and is not, as I see it, a responsible way of putting things," she said.

"Having said so, there is always a difference of standards and quality, as a Chinese saying goes, `even the ten fingers are not of the same size'. The orientation and choice of import agencies matter a great deal in terms of the standard of products imported. As another saying goes, `what price, what goods'," she added.

Ambassador Yang said if one chooses to spend less, he or she then has to be prepared for less desirable quality.

"Of course, on our part, we fully appreciate the importance of quality and are putting greater emphasis on improving quality.

"I hope that more and more products `flooding' Brunei and elsewhere in the world will be of top standard and top-quality, and cheaper as well," she said.

When asked on her discussion with Brunei businessmen as well as the abundance of Chinese products in Brunei, Ambassador Yang said "Brunei is an open economy", adding that as Brunei's relative strengths lie in the energy sector and its non-oil sector has yet to be fully developed, the local community is still dependent upon importation of some products from abroad.

"Since China is a close neighbour and a producer of high quality and reasonably priced products, ranging from building materials, electronics, utensils, to food, vegetables and fruits, it is very natural that business people would target China and import products from China.

"I believe with the development of the China-Asean Free Trade Area, the two markets will be brought closer, interactions between business people more convenient and the cost of living lowered," she said.

Brunei's trade with China has expanded greatly over the years. In the early 1990s, during the early years of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, annual trade volume was less than US$10 million.

The figure went up to US$300 million annually in recent years, and in 2006, trade volume between the two countries stood at US$315 million, a year-on-year rise of 20.7 per cent.

Major exports from China to Brunei include food, textile, construction materials and ICT products, whereas the major import from Brunei to China is crude oil. Cooperation in the energy field constitutes the major pillar of cooperation between the two countries. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

Click Here To Have Your Say On This Story

Brudirect.com News

Brunei's Fastest Growing Website with