Although the amount was said to be a record for such cases in China, the family's victory failed to attract much media attention, as most people in China have become used to the idea of asserting their rights as consumers in a legal setting.

Such was not the case 20 years ago, but over the past two decades China has witnessed rapid growth in consumer awareness.

"Chinese consumers are quite aware of their legitimate rights now," explained Dong Jingsheng, deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Consumers' Association.

The progress can in large part be attributed to the joint efforts of relevant authorities and organizations, among which are consumers' associations, quality and technical supervision authorities, and administrations for industry and commerce, which have been working to crack down on counterfeit products and protect consumers' rights.

A supervision network, which integrates judicial organs, government authorities, consumers' associations and media, has taken shape in China and has been extending efficient help to consumers.

In March 1983, the first consumers' association in China was established in Xinle County, North China's Hebei Province. In December 1984, the Chinese Consumers' Association was established in Beijing.

Today, there are more than 3,000 consumers' associations countrywide. Last year, these associations received more than 700,000 complaints, about 90 times as many as were received in 1985.

Between 1984 and 2000, a total of 5.7 million consumer complaint cases were handled and 3 billion yuan (US$363 million) worth of losses were retrieved, the association said.

According to a survey conducted in March by a Beijing-based institute, 98 percent of China's urban residents are familiar with the Consumers Law and 98.7 percent know about the International Day of Consumers' Rights and Interests, which was yesterday.

However, Dong admitted that there is room for improvement in China's consumer-related laws and regulations.

In particular, he highlighted China's need for a "recall system."

In many countries, laws stipulate that when an automobile model is found to have a safety flaw which might cause accidents, the manufacturer must recall the automobiles, by either replacing them or repairing the flawed parts. There is no such regulation in China yet.

(China Daily 03/16/2001)