EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The head of the Chinese company that manufactured the estimated 1.5 million toys recently recalled by El Segundo-based Mattel Inc. has committed suicide, a Chinese state-run newspaper reported on Monday.

Aug. 8, 2007: Mattel Identifies Vendor Of Recalled Toys

Zhang Shuhong, who co-owned Lee Der Industrial Co. Ltd., hanged himself at a warehouse over the weekend, only days after Chinese authorities announced a temporary ban on exports by the company, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

Mattel, the world's biggest toymaker, earlier this month recalled about 1.5 million toys -- 967,000 of them domestically -- because they were made with paint containing excessive amounts of lead.

The plastic preschool toys affected by the recall sell under the Fisher- Price brand and include the popular Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and Diego characters.

Zhang's best friend sold Lee Der fake paint which was used in the toys, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

Lee Der is headquartered in Hong Kong but maintains its factory in the southern China city of Foshan.