By: 永久浪客/Forever Vagabond
According to the news report from TODAY (‘Feng Tianwei axed for ill-discipline, disrespect and misconduct‘), STTA decided to axe its star player Feng Tianwei after a series of incidents over the years.
“Disputes over prize money, false claims, and disrespect of authority were some of the issues that led to three-time Olympic medallist Feng Tianwei being axed from the national table tennis team,” TODAY reported.
In regard to false claims, TODAY also reported that Feng had submitted handwritten receipts for the purpose of getting reimbursement for her food purchases.
“These included the purchase of 200 eggs for breakfast over nine days, and 10 tins of milk over three days. Feng was eventually issued a warning by the STTA, and the cash was returned to the association,” TODAY said.
It’s not known why she bought 200 eggs over a span of 9 days as it is hard to imagine someone eating 22 eggs a day for breakfast. In the case of the 10 tins of, presumably milk powder, amounting to few hundreds dollars, it is also not known why she bought them over a period of 3 days.
PRCs distrust buying any milk powder in China
PRCs all over the world have been buying tins of milk powder to send back to China since the Chinese milk scandal broke in 2008. The scandal involved milk and infant formula along with other food materials and components being adulterated with melamine.
China reported an estimated 300,000 victims in total. Six infants died from kidney stones with an estimated 54,000 babies being hospitalized. The chemical gives the appearance of higher protein content when added to milk, leading to protein deficiency in the formula. The issue raised concerns about food safety and political corruption in China, and damaged the reputation of China’s food exports. At least 11 countries stopped all imports of Chinese dairy products.
Despite the PRC government arresting senior executives of the Chinese milk producing companies involved in the 2008 scandal, news of adulterated milk powder being produced continue to surface in China.
Last year, BBC reported that China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) had asked three milk producers in Shaanxi province to recall their infant formula powder (‘China to recall Shaanxi baby milk powders‘). Excessive nitrate levels were detected in some powdered milk samples and the products were branded as sub-standard.
In Apr this year, SCMP reported that an escalating counterfeit scandal on infant formula has triggered panic among consumers (‘China’s new baby milk scandal to trigger tighter cross-border e-commerce rules‘). Analysts said unregulated sales channels, in particular e-commerce channels, is one of the key reasons behind the high frequency of counterfeits. CFDA found that a factory has produced more than 17,000 tins of fake Similac and Beingmate milk powder. It confirmed that the bogus products have already reached the market across China.
As a result, many PRCs do not trust buying milk powder in their own home country and would ask friends and relatives outside China to buy for them.
In Hong Kong, the demand for milk powder by PRCs was so great that it caused shortages in retail outlets. PRC traders would snap up supplies in Hong Kong for resale across the border. The Hong Kong government had to impose quota to allow only 2 tins of milk powder per person to be taken out of Hong Kong (‘No plan to lift two-can milk formula limit at the border, says Hong Kong health minister‘).
PRCs living in Singapore have also been buying and sending back milk powder home. Ms Chen, a PRC who has been living in Singapore, told the media that she has been sending baby formula to a friend in China (‘Parents from China snapping up milk powder from Singapore‘). She disclosed that she would ship 12 tins of milk powder back every month. She said that her friend does not mind paying the extra freight costs as she believes that the milk powder products from Singapore are of higher quality.
Another PRC living in Singapore also said that she sends baby formula to her brother in China. She added that several of her friends are also doing the same for their friends and relatives. There is even a website set up to help PRCs living in Singapore who are not familiar with the shipping procedures for milk powder.
In any case, it’s not known what Feng did with the 10 tins of milk powder which she bought in 3 days. Perhaps to build strength, she consumed all 10 tins in 3 days?