Toyota Motor Corp recently offered $1.1 billion to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by US customers who had been affected by acceleration problems with the company's vehicles between 2009 and 2010. However, in response to the same safety issues in China, Toyota promised that it would "reward users with appropriate measures."

This is not the first time Chinese customers have been treated unfairly by foreign companies. Actually, it's not uncommon for people in China to discover that they have not received the same high quality products or services that big multinational businesses and brands offer to consumers in developed countries.

The reason for this is simple: foreign businesses know that they can sell inferior items in China at a higher price than elsewhere and then escape through loopholes in the country's underdeveloped consumer protection laws once the heat is on. Chinese shoppers should stop blindly putting their faith in foreign companies until the government can craft stronger laws to protect the interests of its citizens.

The author is Xiong Jun, a media personality.