THE government is drafting new rules that would make it possible to recall a broader range of defective products, domestic media said Friday, amid growing global concerns about unsafe Chinese products.

The draft regulation on the recall system would apply to all products that might harm public health or personal safety, said Liu Zhaobin, an official with the nation’s quality watchdog, according to the China Daily.

Currently defective cars, toys, drugs and foodstuffs are covered by various recall systems in the country, said the newspaper.

The new regulation, which could take effect next year, might include medical devices, home appliances and public facilities such as elevators and cable cars, it reported.

Under the draft regulation, producers are required to take back unsafe products. Otherwise the government will order a recall, lay down penalties on producers that might lead to license revoke and criminal charges.

The new rule was aimed at improving the quality of Chinese goods, the paper said.

But experts questioned whether the regulation could be properly implemented as the country had no overall system for tracing products back to their source, the China Daily said.

(SD-Agencies)