McDonald’s was widely praised in the United States when it announced on March 4 that it would phase out the use of human antibiotics in meat products served in US restaurants. While a positive step forward, it left Chinese consumers of McDonald’s to ask, “What about us?”

In response, McDonald’s China has said they demand their food suppliers in China to fully comply with Chinese food laws and regulations pertaining to antibiotics. But the company stopped short of saying human antibiotics would be banned here, even elaborating:

The use of antibiotics in preserving the health of animal health is completely necessary. McDonald’s USA has stopped using human antibiotics, but not the use of all antibiotics.

That answer is not definitive, leading many to believe McDonald’s will still use human antibiotics in food products in China. Naturally, Chinese people had a lot to say about it, with many blaming the government for setting the bar so low McDonald’s didn’t need to do much:

不睡回笼觉会死星人：
Blame people for doing what at McDonald’s? Over here (in China), food (safety) requirements aren’t high enough, so (these Chinese McDonald’s workers) don’t have the duty to prepare food that meets the standards (from another country).

辰时赏雨：
It’s clear what these words mean: China has lower standards.

遥遥11：
It’s (other Chinese) that are giving poor habits to foreign companies!

huan-h：
It’s because Chinese people have already infused (the food) with so many poisons that you can’t fit any more.

幸运的小新家的小白：
It serves these people right, seeing how they exhibit such a superior attitude from eating it. Don’t know where this confidence comes from.

膜拜的水獭：
(China) doesn’t care yet, so other people are naturally going to say that they are complying with national rules and regulations.

夙_倾尘：
How is the meat and chicken of the markets in our country? How is the chicken meat in Chinese General Tsao’s Chicken?

花满楼愁：
The food safety of foreign fast food and Chinese domestic restaurants are just about the same. Just how safe do you think your barbeque meat, night market, snacks, and cooked food are?

In a globalized world, it is going to be more difficult for companies to make grand announcements in one region while neglecting others, no matter what the laws say.