The following recalls have been announced:

Trailer bicycles

* About 7,000 InStep Pathfinder, Schwinn Run About and Mongoose Alley Cat trailer bicycles, manufactured in China by Pacific Cycle Inc., because the welds on the coupler connecting the trailer bike to the adult bike can fail. The company has received one report of welds failing in this manner, resulting in a fall. The trailer bikes were sold at bicycle stores around the country between January and August 2007. Details: by phone at (877) 564-2261; by Web at http://www.instep.net, http://www.schwinnbikes.com, http://www.mongoose.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.

Digital timers

* About 8,500 Intermatic DT27 Digital Self-Adjusting Timers, imported by Intermatic Inc. and made by Ewig Industries Macao Commercial Offshore Ltd. in China, because the timers could have been wired incorrectly, which poses an electrical shock hazard to consumers. No injuries or incidents have been reported. The recalled product is a lamp and appliance timer with a date code of O4B. The timers were sold at stores nationwide, including Home Depot and Lowe’s, from February through December last year. Details: by phone at (800) 704-3595; by Web at http://www.intermatic.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.

Globes

* A Japanese educational company is recalling 10,000 electronic talking globes after customers complained that self-governing Taiwan was labeled a part of the People’s Republic of China.

The “Smart Globe” sold by Tokyo-based Gakken calls Taiwan — which split from communist China amid civil war in 1949 — “Taiwan Island” and says it comes under the jurisdiction of Beijing, the company said in a statement Thursday.

An electronic voice also tells users pointing to Taiwan that the island is part of the People’s Republic of China, the official name of the Chinese communist regime, according to Gakken spokesman Satoru Aihara.

He said Gakken’s Chinese manufacturer had refused to produce the globes — which are sold only in Japan — unless Taiwan was labeled as a Chinese region.

Gakken received customer complaints over the labeling, spurring the recall, but there was no official complaint from Taipei, Aihara said.

The company has sold about 10,000 Smart Globes since the product hit the market in August, he said. Owners returning the globes will be reimbursed the full price of $269.

Beijing continues to see Taiwan, the self-governing island of 23 million people, as part of its territory and has promised to attack if it moves to make its de facto independence permanent.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said she did not have details about the issue, but added, “I believe the one-China policy is universally recognized by the international community,” referring to China’s policy of demanding that all nations regard Taiwan as a part of Chinese territory.

— The Associated Press