±«Óãtv

Milk powder tainted with an industrial chemical - just a year after lead paint was found in children's toys, and poison was discovered in pet food and toothpaste. So how do people feel about a government that has again failed in its promise to keep products safe?

"I think the government is doing a good job so far," says Dong Zhen Sheng who took his two year-old daughter to hospital be checked for kidney stones, "After news of the scandal was broken by the media, the government reacted quite quickly. And they've allowed us to have free hospital checks for our children."

For all the parents' anger then, you still come across a bedrock faith in this country's top leaders - and in their ability to make things right. As I've written here before, . Traditionally, when things go wrong in China, you blame corrupt lower-level officials, and you look to a benevolent leader in the capital to come to the rescue.

So, in recent days, Chinese state TV has followed this ancient model closely. It's reported openly on the failure of lower-level officials - the resignation of the chief quality regulator and the sacking of a number of provincial officials. And it's shown the benevolent leader coming in to make things right - in this case, the Premier Wen Jiabao visiting hospitals and promising to reform the dairy industry.

Mr Wen represents a system that's built on trust not scepticism - on the belief that you should put your faith in wise leaders to keep you safe. In this system - inherited from imperial times - there's no room for any meaningful checks and balances.

The Party doesn't allow the establishment of an independent legal system, a free press, or strong NGOs - the kind of tools that other countries use to keep their officials honest and their food safe. If you dare to challenge the Party in China, your life can get pretty difficult.

A few days ago, in south Beijing, several hundred neighbours decided to break the law. They went to protest against the presence of a rubbish dump near their homes. The police marched next to them. Two officers with white gloves raised banners printed with the words "Do Not Violate Public Order."

"They feel furious - more than angry," one protestor told me (he declined to give me his name).

"Do you hope the government will listen and do something?" I asked.

"I don't think so - unless somebody dies. As you can see with the milk problem, that's the philosophy and without any necessary monitoring from any third party I don't think the government will do anything to curb the feeling that people generate."

After a couple of hours the protestors went home. A little later, a number of them were detained by the police. This is what happens in China when you try to challenge the Party's authority - when you try to suggest that there should be more independent regulation and oversight. But this week, the irony of how China is run may be pretty clear. You're still meant to trust the Party even if you can no longer trust the food it allows you to buy in the shops.

• Bookmark with:
• |
• |
• |
• |
• - What's this?