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Source: HuiCong Coating Network, Author: Mo Fei. [HuiCong Coating Network] The theme for this year’s March 15 Consumer Rights Day is “Consumption and Development”. Introducing this theme in the context of a sluggish global economy seems to carry a special significance. Consumption is not determined solely by production; rather, it has an impact on production as well, and it is the ultimate driving force behind economic growth. In any industry, only by improving the consumer environment and boosting consumer confidence can faster development be achieved. Current situation of the domestic coating market: For the coating industry, the consumption environment in the overall market over the past year can still be considered unsatisfactory. HuiCong Coating Network has also exposed counterfeit and substandard coating products, as well as the irregular conditions in the market, on numerous occasions. For example, in July 2008, 12 tons of counterfeit paint putty powder were seized in Huichang, Jiangxi ； In August 2008, the Dalian Industrial and Commercial Bureau seized over 70 barrels of counterfeit \"Nippon Paint\" coatings, worth 13,000 yuan ； In March 2009, China Resources Paints and the industrial and commercial authorities in Wuhan jointly carried out anti-counterfeiting operations, during which a batch of paints labeled as \"produced under the supervision of China Resources Paints (**) International Group Co., Ltd.\" were found to be counterfeit products. The phenomena of counterfeiting and selling fake products, as well as imitating well-known brands, remain quite serious in the coating market. The path to protecting rights remains difficult. The 3.15 campaign takes place every year, with the constant theme being the protection of consumers’ rights. However, for ordinary consumers, the path to seeking rights protection remains fraught with difficulties. A 3.15 survey conducted by HuiCong Coating Network showed that 46% of consumers believe that the current consumption environment in the coating industry is “mostly reassuring, though some brands still raise concerns.” Fortunately, after encountering infringement, 27% of consumers this year chose to “file complaints with consumer associations” or “report the issue to the media,” compared to the prevailing attitude in previous years of simply tolerating such situations. Over the 14 years since the implementation of the Consumer Rights Protection Law, consumers’ awareness of protecting their rights has indeed improved, but it remains somewhat difficult to achieve successful rights protection. Data source: HuiCong Coating Network’s 2009 special feature on “Consumption and Development” dated March 15; deadline: March 15, 2009. Protecting consumers’ rights is essential for ensuring the development of businesses. If we raise the question: Is protecting rights merely about safeguarding consumers’ interests? That’s not the case. Fundamentally, only by protecting consumers’ rights can a market economy better reflect fairness and justice, and can enterprises develop in a healthy and sustainable manner. And some well-known companies in the coating industry do exactly the same. Recently, Nippon Paint officially launched an anti-counterfeiting certification system to help consumers identify fake and inferior products, a move that has been endorsed by authorities from the China Consumers Association. Under the impact of the financial crisis, a question that companies in the coatings industry are all considering is how to get through this difficult period. Nippon Paint’s approach provides us with a model to follow: protecting consumers’ rights is essential for ensuring the sustainable development of the companies themselves. This year’s 3·15 event has arrived and then passed away. We sincerely hope that it will not be just a brief phenomenon in March, and we look forward to the day when \"315\" becomes \"365\" – so that consumers can experience throughout the entire year how the consumption environment in China’s coating market is getting better and better.