Despite all the adverse publicity surrounding the ‘made in China’ label so far this year, all we’ve really heard from Beijing is rhetoric – now, for the first time, it seems they’ve followed this up with action.

Yesterday officials in China revealed that 774 people had been arrested over the past two months as part of a nationwide crackdown on counterfeit and sub-standard production.

Headed by Chinese vice-premier Wu Yi, the arrests are an illustration that China is finally prepared to take action to protect their battered reputation, although the US in particular will remain skeptical if the “special battle” can be ever be won.

There are 626 criminal cases currently open as a result of Yi’s campaign and speaking to the Xinhua news agency at the weekend, she said: “Local governments of each district, county or city should make sure there remain no dens producing or selling fake products in the region.”

As you would have read on ELP in recent weeks, however, the reality is likely to be very different.

Local government in China is more than keen to protect businesses that bring-in much-needed tax revenues and employment in their region, and if this means turning a blind eye to rouge operations then that, it appears, is a price they are will to pay.

According to the Chinese authorities 180 food manufacturers have been closed down since July, with 667 tons of unauthorised or fake food products also having been destroyed.

Yi’s campaign has another two months to run and negotiations for closer co-operation between the EU and the US are seen as a keen part of her strategy.

All of which means we should have a much-clearer idea of what lies in store for global supply chains leaning heavily on China by the turn-of-the-year.