Just saw this on the McClatchy news site - sorry if it's been posted before.
The long and short of it is that the Bush administration is responsible for the poor product quality coming out of China.
The Bush administration has hindered regulation on two fronts, consumer advocates say. It stalled efforts to press for greater inspections of imported children’s products, and it altered the focus of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), moving it from aggressive protection of consumers to a more manufacturer-friendly approach.
Linky here. Read it - it's fascinating. And strangely familiar.