China’s quality regulator resigns…

Former Quality Czar of China
Li Changjiang got milk

… and Wang Yong gets the worst job in the world

A Dow Jones story on the The Wall Street Journal:

China’s chief quality regulator has resigned, two people familiar with the matter said Monday, amid a toxic milk scandal that has killed at least three children and sickened nearly 53,000.

No reason was given for the resignation of Li Changjiang, the chief of China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, but — if officially linked to the growing milk scare — he would be the highest political casualty to date that has already included the detention of one top milk executive and the dismissal of a local mayor.

A terse, three line Xinhua story in Chinese published soon after the Dow Jones piece confirms that Li Changjiang has resigned:

Staffing changes at the State Council

[The State Council] agrees to the resignation of Li Changjiang, chief of General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

[The State Council] appoints Wang Yong as chief of General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine…

Poor Wang Yong. Becoming China’s new quality czar is a little like being told to go clean out the Augean Stables.

Especially when you consider this item from Flex News, a food industry website:

20 August, 2008 – China’s dairy exports in June were nearly 12 million tonnes, valued at some USD 28.5 million, Chinese state media reported.

Chinese dairy shipments for the first half of 2008 were over 59 million tonnes, and worth some USD 129.6 million. This represents a year-on-year jump of some 18.6% and 76% respectively.