(Agencies/China Daily)
Updated: 2007-08-31 12:11

China welcomed the results of a New Zealand investigation that found that Chinese-made pajamas met safety standards amid worldwide concern about the quality of its exports.

Alarm over the quality of the clothes was triggered after two children in New Zealand were reportedly injured when their sleep wear caught fire earlier this month.

Last week, New Zealand's Commerce Commission, a consumer watchdog, said "The Warehouse Red Stamp" brand passed flammability tests conducted by an independent lab.

The commission said in its statement that the China-made pajamas were qualified to carry the "low fire danger" label.

"The results show that sleep wear produced in China is up to safety standards," Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Wang Xinpei said at a regular news briefing Thursday. "The Chinese government welcomes the New Zealand government's objective, careful and efficient testing."

Authorities in New Zealand also launched an investigation after children's clothes imported from China were found to contain high levels of formaldehyde. Results from that inquiry have yet to be released.

Stuart Wallace, acting director of fair trading with the commerce commission, said the pajamas passed both the dimension requirements for close-fitting garments and the surface burn after washing test. Compliance with each is required for a garment to carry the "low fire danger" label as set out in the safety standards.

"However, low fire danger does not mean no fire danger," he said. "All clothing and fabric will burn."

"While the aim of the product safety standard is to reduce the danger of night garments catching fire or the likelihood of them burning if they do catch fire, there is always a risk when children are near heat sources. Extreme vigilance is needed," he said.

Mounting concern over the safety of Chinese products worldwide has prompted a four-month government campaign against poor product quality and supervision.

Eight categories of products are involved - pork, drugs, agricultural products, processed food, food in the catering sector, import and export products, and other products related to public health such as toys and electrical wires.

The move aims to improve the quality of made-in-China products by the end of the year.

A Cabinet-level food safety and quality control panel was also established, headed by Vice-Premier Wu Yi.