LETTERS Reckless Drivers Than for Children Routes in the Indian Ocean

A10 Thursday, October 1, 2015 China is meeting ? its responsibilities Project charge. Could the fee (of between HK$70 and laims that China is not doing enough to live HK$180) to help pay for up to its great-power status have been all the third runway at Hong but laid to rest with President Xi Jinping’s Kong International pledges to the UN. Billions of Airport, which will be dollars of aid will go to the least developed imposed on all air countries, thousands of peacekeepers travellers, put off some allocated for a new standby force and people and persuade C them to use other military support put forward for the African Union. This is how nearby airports a responsible nation responds in times of need. It is about such as Shenzhen? ensuring that there is equality and justice. In his first address to the UN General Assembly on Monday and earlier at the UN sustainable development summit, Xi made clear China’s intention to work with other governments to alleviate global poverty. Generous pledges were made: US$2 billion for an investment fund to help poorer nations meet goals with the objective to give US$12 billion by 2030; debt relief for the least developed and smaller nations; a US$1 billion donation over a decade for a UN peace and development fund; 8,000 peacekeepers for the new standby force; and US$100 million in military support for the African Union for peacekeeping missions over the next five years. Making the world a better place for all is the stated aim. China has long been one of the biggest contributors to Pushy parents international peacekeeping efforts; with a total of 3,079 troops At greater risk from and police deployed, it ranks ninth among 124 countries. It is can be good playing a vital role in anti-piracy operations along shipping LETTERS reckless drivers than for children routes in the Indian Ocean. Aid and investment to the poorer We welcome all letters. Include your full name, address and There has been a lot of debate parts of the world have since the 1950s been helping alleviate telephone number, not necessarily for publication. Please keep letters about those parents in Hong poverty. Yet there has been persistent criticism in some to a maximum of 400 words. Email [email protected] Fax 2250 3242 walking on escalator Kong who are pushing their developed countries that the nation is not pulling its weight in Post 22 Dai Fat Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Po, Hong Kong. children to succeed academi- On a safety scale of one to 10, walking on an escalator would cally, by doing a lot of home- tandem with its growing economic strength and suspicions are surely rate below one. work and going to after-school rife that Beijing’s aim is to tear down the US-led international By contrast, the woman driving her car in the next lane to classes. order, including institutions like the UN and World Bank. constituency, the taciturn me through Tai Po one morning last month with her dog on In discussions online, many US President Barack Obama gave that impression after Stadium the Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, con- her lap would surely rate a seven or an eight. netizens say this kind of parent- meeting Xi in Washington, saying China was no longer a poor, cerning the venues, both The car in front had two adults strapped into the front seats ing kills children’s interest in perfect venue present and future. while four unrestrained children leapt around on the back seat their studies, because they are developing country and had responsibilities and expectations for big match as though they were on a bouncy castle. Surely this would be not allowed to grow free of to meet. Beijing’s launch earlier this year of the Asian K. Y. Leung, Shouson Hill another seven or eight. extreme pressure. Infrastructure Investment Bank and its “One Belt, One Road” I was astounded and disap- Despite all modern cars now being equipped with a Although they are often seen initiative give an impression of a shift away from traditional aid pointed when I read the report Bluetooth function, just about everyone driving through Tai Po in a negative light, the attitude “HK Stadium unlikely for World that morning had one hand on the steering wheel and the of pushy parents can be good and development vehicles. But, as Xi said in Seattle at the start Cup clash” (September 24). other one holding their mobile phone, which was stuck to their for children especially in an of his US visit, China is among nations that want to see “reform Football is by far the most Poor living ear for what must have been a highly important conversation. environment like Hong Kong. and improvement of the system to keep up with the times”. The popular sport in Hong Kong, conditions Why don’t these people use the hands-free function to talk? I do not think children are strategy of win-win partnerships without political strings and our footballers have Is it arrogance or stupidity that makes them do this? born with a love of learning. recently been doing us proud. This would be another seven or eight on the safety scale, They benefit from being put attached is tried and tested and augurs a positive way forward. How do officials have the in geopark and three points for a traffic offence. under some pressure in their nerve to even consider switch- I refer to the report “Geopark On another day last month, I was forced to endure a white- studies. This is especially the ing the highly anticipated tourism drive ‘neglects needs of knuckle ride by the driver of the green minibus from Tai Po to case when there is so much World Cup clash between Hong villages’ ” (September 21). my village. He hit the pavement very hard on two occasions competition for a Hong Kong Kong and China to a minor ven- I have not been to any of the and also drove at 75km/h on a 50km/h section of road. While university place and a good job. ue at inconvenient Siu Sai Wan? Hong Kong Geopark sites. doing so, he went straight through a red light on a section of Young people with these The turf cannot be the issue, However, I have seen docu- road undergoing maintenance. He was well off the top of the parents develop good learning MTR must apply and the local pitch will favour mentaries about them on TV. safety chart. habits at an early age. As they our players. Everyone should be The geopark is famous because Being angry about this terrible driving, I called the hotline mature, they find they are capa- rooting for our team in the of its world-class rock forma- number that was clearly listed inside the bus, only to be told ble of self-study. They become match against China. tions. In 2011 it became part of that I needed to call a different number. Why should I call a independent learners. its rules to all Our officials give the impres- the Global Geoparks Network. different number to report such bad driving? What was wrong I do not see after-school sion that they are worried about It was renamed Hong Kong with the so-called hotline? classes as adding to the pres- the response of 50,000 Hong- Global Geopark of China and Some 25 years ago, the MTR launched a campaign to stop sure. They give students an t is common sense that MTR passengers are kongers (such as whistling at attracts a lot of tourists. people “flicking tickets”. insight into the subject they restricted from carrying bulky items onto trains. China’s players) and that a fully However, this popularity This was in the days before the convenient Octopus card, may not get in school. They can supported Hong Kong team with visitors has not been of and someone in the MTR Corporation decided to make it an also help them realise their own There are by-laws stipulating the size of luggage might win. much help to indigenous villag- offence to flick the ticket, and it was punishable by a fine of potential and find out what in- allowed on board. Each passenger can carry only President Xi Jinping ers living on the island of Tung several thousand dollars. terests them and what career one item with total dimensions not exceeding is known to be a football fan, Ping Chau. The government Walking on escalators is about as dangerous as flicking a path they might follow. 170cm, and with no one side measuring more than and will obviously wish that has neglected their needs and ticket, and the campaign to prevent it was no doubt thought up Even without such parents, 130cm. The rules are clear enough. China gets to host a future villagers lack a sustainable elec- by the same person who dreamed up the flicking tickets fiasco. students face an enormous World Cup. tricity or fresh water supply. workload. What pushy parents IHowever, there are always those who pay little regard to If China cannot even make They have to rely on using gen- Richard Castka, Tai Po can do is guide them in how to regulations or who are simply not aware of the restrictions. This the finals in Russia in 2018, then erators. cope with their homework. is not helped when millions of people pass through the a Chinese bid will be less than The government must ad- As long as such parents look compelling.

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