Street vendors

After reading You Nuo's article "Work with small-scale vendors" on September 24, China Daily, I was deeply impressed. You Nuo described the truth in most cities in this country where local governments are determined to build "clean/well-organized modern cities". On one hand they claim to represent and work for majority of the people. On the other, they forget who the majority is. In reality the majority are the poor people who lost their State jobs including their rural lands. These people are living under the poverty level. Some of them are struggling to survive. They eke out a living on city streets.

Fortunately the local government in the city where I live has changed its attitude toward the control of street vendors. However, during special occasions when high-ranking officials visit the city, vendors are driven off the streets for a few days to make the city look clean and neat. Residents, especially the elderly, encounter problems in trying to buy fresh food.

Street vendors are an important part of cities. They offer convenient services for residents. Without them, life would be more difficult. It is true some streets are not wide enough in the older cities where vendors could hinder the smooth flow of traffic. But a harmonious society should be more generous, and open minded to allow the weaker classes to make a living and not simply drive them out for the sake of "city cleanness".

Wang Shuda

via e-mail

Timely article

Comment on You Nuo's column "Olympics can spearhead environment change"

(China Daily, September 3)

Just to let you know I enjoyed your comments on the environment, biofuels and the food chain which are "changing the face of economic growth". I have just finished reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, my favorite writer on the subject of the food chain and agriculture. A recent novel by Timothy Egan, The Worst Hard Times, describes a man-made environmental disaster that impacts the direction our food chain has taken in the United States, and unfortunately, the same way China is going. Maybe you have read Steinbeck or seen the movie, Grapes of Wrath, which depicts the depression era. The writer tells the story of the "Okies" some of whom survived while others died in such gripping prose you cannot forget. Of course, it is nothing compared to what the Chinese have endured over the centuries.

John Oliver

via e-mail

Dangerous products

Comments on Raymond Zhou's column "Exporters caught between a rock and hard place"

(China Daily, September 29)

Actually it is the consumer that is being cheated, paying ridiculously high prices for cheap plastic toys that cost very little to produce. Large corporations always have more buying power to force the prices down of its suppliers, especially small ones, but this is no excuse for dangerous products (remember the case of leaded paint).

Gordon Bennett

on China Daily website

It is not about "made in China" or "China-free". It is about ecologically sustainable development, socially responsible and economically viable production.

Seneca

on China Daily website

What you say is true. It applies very much to American car manufacturers and it is the main reason they are losing ground to others, especially the Japanese.

Their executives pay themselves big bucks and also at the same time need to make big profits to make shareholders happy, so they force their car parts suppliers to make their prices cheaper. And in turn, the car parts suppliers use cheaper materials and in the end, they produce very poor quality cars which even make some of their most patriotic consumers switch to foreign cars.

It is the same with American importers who force their Chinese suppliers and manufacturers to lower their prices and the consequence is the poor quality of their products.

Ann

on China Daily website

(China Daily 10/10/2007 page11)