This is not true. Do you know why American-made, no, let's say non-Chinese-made, product is (generally) higher quality? It sure as hell isn't because the workers are more skilled or conscientious. In fact, the total opposite is true. Give an American a job to do with no specific desired outcome and you will end up with the same sh!t that the American auto makers were cranking out in the 60's to 80's. The average American worker will do the least amount of work for the most monetary gain. It took foreign (read Japanese) product to open American eyes and implement "quality programs". Programs such as ISO - but don't get me started on that one! Chinese production is no different today than most other countries. If you provide the specifications and tolerances, you will end up with a product comparable to and other manufacturer using the same specifications. And it doesn't take oversite by westerners, the Chinese are total capable of overseeing their own production. No, the reason you get poor quality Chinese product is because, quite simply, there is a market for it! Forget Chinese for a moment and look at the vast array of American-made products. You will find a large number of similar products with varying levels of quality and price. Because there is a market. A prime example is Snap-On, Mac, Craftsman and Stanley tools. Not everyone needs or can afford a Snap-On or Mac and the Craftsman or Stanley will do just fine. So back to the point of Chinese quality, its there - if you want it - and it will still cost less than an American-made product of equal quality.