Watchdog to launch inspection of cables
China's quality watchdog requested on Thursday a nationwide inspection of companies producing electric wires and cables, in the wake of reports that substandard cables were found in some metro systems.
The inspection, which started on Thursday and lasts until the end of June, will focus on cracking down on substandard products and guaranteeing quality, according to a notice released on the website of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
The substandard cables provided by Shaanxi Aokai Cable Co were first reported to have been used in Subway Line 3 in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. The line carries an average of more than 340,000 people a day, but its cables were reportedly susceptible to catching fire and the toxic gas released in case of a fire is lethal.
