Problematic suppliers

In its supplier responsibility report, Apple admitted it has encountered many problems - including underage workers, involuntary or debt-bonded labor, and unsafe handling of dangerous chemicals - during its audits of 127 production facilities in China. Despite requests from environmental groups in China, Apple declined to list its suppliers.

"Apple's recent supply chain scandal is not an isolated case in China," said Qin Zhigang, General Electric's environmental health safety director in North Asia. "Supply chain problems usually boil down to one specific link, instead of the whole chain at fault."

But international corporations are realizing that China is demanding changes in corporate responsibility, Qin said. "The intensity of public criticism signals a growing environmental awareness among the Chinese. Violations have always been there, but people never showed such strong reactions before."