International -- Readers Report
China: Aggressor or Victim?
When reading "China: Coping with its new power" (Cover Story, Apr. 16), I couldn't help but wonder why you fail to see the real danger coming from one of the world's most autocratic and repressive regimes. A military confrontation between China and the U.S. is not a remote possibility but almost a certainty. China has strong expansionist aims in the Pacific area, and this directly collides with U.S. interests there. It is also a completely repressive state that will have no scruples whatsoever in nationalizing all Western property when it feels that this best suits its interests. The best advice anyone could give Western CEOs is to keep this scenario in mind when contemplating an investment in China.
Michael Stein
Flechtorf, Germany
You write that "Chinese Internet chat rooms are full of anti-U.S. hate" ("China: Globalization, not cold war," Editorials, Apr. 16). The main reasons are the unending meddling on the part of the U.S. in the internal affairs of China and the ceaseless harassments by the U.S. of the Chinese under the guise of defending democracy, human rights, etc., while their real design is to create obstacles to China's development.
I am a French citizen, born to Chinese parents and living in France. I fully support the Chinese regime that is doing its utmost to extract the Chinese people from poverty and underdevelopment. The U.S. must stop bullying the Chinese people and respect the country's sovereignty.
Laurent Tchang
Villejuif, France
Every Word Counts When It Comes to the Mideast
I agree with "Mideast prospects: More miserable by the minute" (International Outlook, Apr. 16) except for one critical key word: "...fighting between the Palestinians and Israelis is escalating, despite tougher Israeli tactics." "Despite" should be replaced with "because of." For many years the Israelis have "tried to suppress terrorism" by violating Palestinian rights and aspirations. The result: all-out war--one-sided war, guns and shells vs. rocks. Meanwhile, more Jewish settlements are being built on Palestinian land, more territory confiscated. Who can honestly think this new offensive with helicopters and shells is a bid for peace?
John F. Mason
Stiges, Spain
What Price Do We Pay for Hero Worship?
Adoration of idols is part of the essence of life ("Executive Pay," Special Report, Apr. 16). The rather unromantic realization that most of those superheroes just have been lucky enough to be at the right time at the right place, and that their achievements are neither superhuman nor in most cases really outstanding, seems to be somehow revolting. Despite all their failures, we (including the press) just go on celebrating these icons.
If such an adoration process has evolved, a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy works for the steadily growing benefit of those lucky few with a halo. Obviously, nobody seems to bother about the price the rest of us normal earthlings pay for this hyperglorification, be it in terms of money, emotion--or simply the quality of life.
Winrich Neumann
Waldshut-Tiengen, Germany
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