Asking for trouble

Comment on "Petty crimes may not lead to penalties" (China Daily, August 16)

Thieves at train stations will be delighted with this piece of news!

Petty crime causes petty damage, but it spurs vicious society influences. After all, petty crimes usually involve close contact with ordinary people.

Mercy for the wicked equals brutality to ourselves.

Kivcare

On China Daily website

Damaged building

Comment on "Shanghai World Financial Center catches fire" (China Daily website, August 14)

What worries me most now is the structural integrity of the steel building after a major fire like this one. I wonder how Shanghai will handle the scientific investigation.

If the metal beams and columns have been damaged they are no longer safe.

Jim

On China Daily website

'Tofu bridge'

Comment on "Death toll rises to 36 in bridge collapse" (China Daily website, August 16)

The bridge is made of stone and cement but feels like a pack of tofu! Ridiculous! How can design a "tofu bridge"?

Ridiculous

On China Daily website

Unbalanced reports

The cardboard-stuffed bun hoax shows that journalists should be factual and honest.

However, similar cases appear in local Chinese newspapers in Beijing.

For example, about two months ago, a former employee of the Beijing-based Great Wall Sheraton Hotel claimed she was dismissed because she voluntarily helped train students at a charity school. However, as the report failed to solicit any sources from the hotel, the story was unbalanced.

Panpan

Via e-mail

No direct exposure

Comment on "Subprime crisis not a 'direct threat'" (China Daily, August 14).

We wish to clarify that two funds mentioned in the article - the listed Macquarie Fortress Notes and the unlisted Fortress fund - have no direct exposure to US subprime mortgages.

While the investment portfolio has been adversely impacted by price volatility in US credit markets as a result of the subprime crisis, Fortress has expects the portfolios to generate their target objectives even after absorbing the realized losses, assuming the remaining senior loans in the portfolio continue to generate their expected interest income and there are no further significant declines in the market value of the senior loans.

Stephen Yan, Macquarie Bank

Via e-mail

Readers' comments are welcome. Please send mail to Letters to the Editor, China Daily, 15 Huixin Dongjie, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029 China. Send faxes to (86-10) 6491-8377. Send e-mail to opinion@chinadaily.com.cn or letters@chinadaily.com.cn or to the individual columnists. China Daily reserves the right to edit all letters. Thank you.

(China Daily 08/17/2007 page11)