letters

I am writing with reference to “Sustainable Development，” by Zhang Shifu and others. In 2011， my wife and I spent a month visiting Shanghai， Beijing and other cities of China. It was a rewarding experience to see a vast country on the march.

By 2010， China had achieved many important milestones： It overtook J apan as the worlds second largest economy； it overtook the United States as J apans biggest trading partner； it overtook J apan as Australias and South Koreas biggest trading partner； it overtook the United States as the worlds greatest trading nation； and it overtook the United States as the worlds biggest market for cars. And all this happened at warp speed.

As Maurice Ohana， CEO of Ohanasia， a French trading company in Shanghai， remarked： “In 1998， we didnt even have Coca-Cola here. Everyone got around on bikes. Today Chinese are buying more cars than the Americans. In ten years， China has built 30，000 kilometers of highways and all big cities have an extensive and efficient subway system.”Mahmood Elahi Ottawa， Canada

The Chinese government has just issued a document to zoos across China with guidelines on the care of animals. Animals Asia welcomes this four-point plan that calls for a standard of care including the supply of comfortable living conditions， the provision of daily health checkups， and the ban on all forms of animal performances. Maya Gottfried

Animals Asia Sichuan people are happy people； this is known across China.

As low-end teahouses have long since evaporated in Shanghai， Beijing and other metropolises where the tempo of daily life has gone into hyper-drive and the old lifestyle is vanishing， many such teahouses remain in the Sichuanese capital. Many Chengdu natives spend hours in these teahouses everyday， chatting with neighbors and playing mahjong. One of my friends told me he was surprised to see that local restaurants were packed every night， though the local income level is not particularly high. He began to understand the inherent hedonism of Sichuan people after visiting the Wenchuan quake zone. The experience of surviving a number of catastrophes in their history， among them wars and natural disasters， has wrought a tough and optimistic people who always look to the sunny side of life， and keep moving on. Enjoying life doesnt necessarily mean idling around. Sichuan people are also known for their diligence and entrepreneurship. There are many successful Sichuan natives in Chinese public life today.

Chu Lan Beijing， China