Those protecting consumers must step up to the plate

World Consumer Rights Day, which falls on March 15, has been marked in China each year with a big fanfare that is rarely seen in any other country. It is a day for the public to air their grievances, culminating in an evening television gala show sponsored by the national broadcaster that highlights fake and shoddy goods as well as unfair and fraudulent business practices that consumers have experienced over the past year.

It is a TV program that has triggered a high level of enthusiasm among audiences for a long time. Nearly three decades after the show was first staged, it continues to strike a chord with Chinese consumers, only more forcefully now.

Actually, the number of complaints lodged by consumers and the amount of money involved in such cases have been on a double-digit increase each year, which not only reflects rising consumer awareness, but also shows how formidable the task of consumer rights protection is.