I believe maubuchi has factories all over the world. The earthquake and tsunami in japan just about crippled maubuchi for a while and there where a few builders who relied on them that where left in the dark for some time. I can only assume that if nothing was coming out of Japan for a while that production might have been switched to china?

Almost everything you would rely on to do your job currently comes out of china. A lot of it depends on who is making it and who designed it and is backing it. Apple products are made in china but the factory is held to the strictest of standards. (correct me if I am wrong but) at least 99% the premade needles and disposable tubes come from factories in china.

I once was doing research on car batteries and found a truck forum where a member was complaining about how whatever battery he bought was sub standard and he was disappointed in the company because they where a US company that had the batteries made in Mexico and in China. A rep from the company was being really good about replying to him about the standards the engineering etc. and the guy kept going on about how he got a raw deal because he thought he was buying American. Funny thing is his truck is not American... it was a Nissan and if he took all the parts not made in America out of his truck from when he rolled it off the lot I guarantee it would not leave his driveway.

Without having a rep from maubuchi on the site its hard to get all the info really but their motors have been proven to be robust workhorses that many builders choose as a go to for motors.