David Cameron’s `best of British` gift to Obama actually `made in China`

London: The ping-pong table presented to Barack Obama by David Cameron has turned out to be manufactured in China.

The British Prime Minister handed over the top-of-the-range 600 pounds table amid great fanfare during his visit to Washington last week. He hoped it would remind the US President of his visit to the UK last May when he played ping-pong with pupils at the Globe academy school in South London. The table was customised with bats painted in the UK and US flags and bears the Dunlop stamp. It was supposed to be an example of something typically British which displayed their best manufacturing and workmanship. According to a press release, “founded in 1886, Dunlop is a truly British company which operates in over 70 countries…It is the most successful sports brand of the 20th Century and a fitting gift for the occasion as we approach the London 2012 Olympics,” the Mirror reported. However, a closer look at the small print of its product reveals that although the table was “designed and branded” in the UK it is, in fact, made in China. Britons who want to buy the table, which is called an EVO 8000, can get it from several sports equipment sites online. One company selling the table said they’d been importing it from the same factory in China for the past three years. To make matters worse, Samantha Cameron gave Michelle Obama a silk scarf that, despite show casing British fashion, was in fact made in Italy. The blue Victoriana scarf, which costs 289 dollars in Harrods, was designed by Glaswegian Jonathan Saunders, but the label states “Made in Italy”. By contrast, the Obamas gave the Camerons a top-of-the-range barbecue which boasts that “every part is American-made”. The Braten 1000 Series grill, worth 2,000 pounds, was handmade by Engelbrecht Grills and Cookers of Paxton, Illinois. The grill’s custom features include an engraved utility tray with American and British flags, and a presidential plaque on the lid. ANI