As part of this system, government departments would offer guidance to 4,000 companies and all infant formula manufacturers in the country to set up a credibility management system on a trial basis. They would also test a system for certification.
"I think credibility is not only an ethical issue, but also a responsibility," said Chang Dechuan, president of the Qingdao Port Group Co., Ltd. and a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC).
"A manufacturer should bear the responsibility for preventing fraud, counterfeiting or substandard products," he said.
Top Chinese leaders have reiterated the significance of credibility for both the government and society.
During an online chat with Internet users last month, Wen Jiabao said that problems in two major factors - credibility of the society and public trust of the government - are hindering the progress of the entire society.
"The society would stride forward a big step once the two factors are handled properly," he said.
Song Xinfang, an NPC deputy who proposed to build a credibility system for the country's companies and society, said, "The people's loss of trust in the government could bring the greatest harm."
"If the trust crisis could not be handled well, it would intensify social contradictions," he said.
Realizing the problem and its potential risks, the Chinese government has responded in this year's work report to issues of public concern such as closing the income gap, the standardization of the use of official cars, adjustments on income distribution, and the stabilization of real estate, grain prices and food safety.
"The government work report is rich in details this year. It even specifies the minimum purchase prices of grains," Song Xinfang said.
"It shows the government's sincerity in winning trust from the people," he said.
