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Letters

Link up with mainland airports
I am a former member of the Hong Kong airport consultative committee during the days before the development of the airport at Chek Lap Kok. I would like to comment on the article by Julia Yan, general manager of strategic planning and development at the Airport Authority, on the necessity of the third runway project ("Hong Kong must ride on the growth of global aviation or risk its own prosperity", July 9).
Ms Yan says Hong Kong must add a third runway, otherwise our status as an aviation hub would be undermined, severely limiting our economic development and air travel convenience and choices.
I believe that Hong Kong's economic success will continue to depend on our proximity and access to the mainland. As China becomes more integrated with the global economy, the lion's share of the people and goods entering and exiting Hong Kong will be connected to the mainland.
Due to the Chek Lap Kok site's geographical limitations, it can accommodate at most three runways and must share limited air space with nearby airports.
In contrast, by the time a third runway could be added, the airports in Guangzhou and Shenzhen would already have eight runways between them.
Therefore, the best way for us to maintain our status as an aviation hub is to strengthen our connection with nearby airports across the border by making Hong Kong airport part of an integrated regional aviation network.
The most obvious first step would be to connect Chek Lap Kok and Shenzhen Baoan International Airport by jumpstarting the development of the previously proposed Hong Kong-Shenzhen western express line.
Meanwhile, the efficiency of Chek Lap Kok's two-runway system can be significantly improved by maximising our synergies with mainland airports.
This would involve focusing on international routes and major mainland cities, leaving low-volume domestic routes to third- and fourth-tier cities to our neighbours across the border.
Infrastructure investment can be critical to continuing economic success. But we must be careful in choosing the right projects because it is always the taxpaying public that bears the cost of wasted resources and lost opportunities.
If someone can prove beyond reasonable doubt that Hong Kong would need to handle significantly increased air traffic over the long term, I would rather we consider building a second airport that can grow beyond three runways in a flexible and gradual manner.
Francis Neoton Cheung, Central 
 
Explanation required for third runway
As usual, Jake van der Kamp nails it in his column ("Let spoiled airlines fund third runway, not the public purse", July 22).
Those speaking up for a third runway at Chek Lap Kok demand that taxpayers stump up at least HK$200 billion to pay for it. That's HK$30,000 for every man, woman and child in Hong Kong. Or nearly HK$200,000 per taxpayer.
Surely the proponents of the third runway owe us an explanation. Why don't they increase the efficiency of the airport, before demanding that we spend vast sums on more concrete?
We are told by various sources that efficiency of the airport has dropped dramatically in recent years, as more narrow-bodied aircraft flying to secondary airports are allowed landing slots.
These should be weeded out, to focus on wide-bodied jets servicing key cities.
Why not address that issue first? Can the Airport Authority come clean on this issue?
Peter Forsythe, Discovery Bay 
 
Don't pick on pan-democrats over funding
Why is it only pan-democrats who are the target of a funding probe? We all know that Jimmy Lai Chee-ying is a big pan-democratic supporter.
What about the substantial sums gathered by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong? Why the silence over its massive funding?
It is because the DAB's "democracy" accords with Beijing's view? Perhaps the party should change its name.
Jennifer Eagleton, Tai Po
 
Better to keep children away from protests
Some parents take their children with them when they are involved in political activities - for example, a protest over a social issue.
I am concerned about the impact this could have on a child.
For example, it could have a strong influence on how they develop politically as they grow up. This is not very helpful when it comes to developing young people's critical thinking skills if they just ape the views expressed by their mothers and fathers.
I would like to see these young people develop their own analytical skills so that the views they hold on social issues when they are adults are their own.
I am also concerned that some protests in Hong Kong deteriorate from being peaceful to being unruly.
This poses a potential danger to children, especially when some protesters come into direct conflict with police and the officers are forced to become more physical in restraining people.
Some protesters use foul language even when there are children present.
Some would say that taking your children to such activities can help raise their awareness about the social issues that are important in Hong Kong. But I believe there are better ways of doing that, such as watching the television news with them at home regularly and discussing with them the items about various issues.
In this way parents can explain something but the children can form their own views independently. Then they can choose whether or not they want to share their parents' political views.
Wong Siu-yuk, Sham Shui Po 
 
McDonald's controversy a lesson to firms
McDonald's, which apologised for its part in the expired meat scandal on the mainland, should not forget the importance of corporate social responsibility ("McDonald's sorry for lack of clarity, but won't clarify", July 28).
Many people will have been shocked by the news that the fast-food giant used products from the plant at the centre of the scandal, Shanghai Husi.
I know companies exist to make profits, but they must always accept they have a duty to society as a whole.
I hope that what happened with McDonald's will serve as a lesson to all companies in Hong Kong about protecting their good reputation and image.
Sheri Ong, Sai Kung
 
Candle of hope flickers weakly in Palestine
When Israel's then president Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas visited Rome in June to pray for peace with Pope Francis, there seemed to be a genuine glow of goodwill, and faint glimmer of hope.
Israel now has a new president, Reuven Rivlin, and the candle of hope has yet again been blown away by escalated actions, violent turmoil and hatred. This has engendered the usual justifications, such as the letter by Joy Spencer ("Israelis are having to act in self-defence", July 25).
In 1952, Albert Einstein was offered, and declined, the presidency of Israel. He would have understood how actions create reactions and that there is a basic relativity.
No one in this conflict is blameless. However, there is nothing more depressing for the human spirit than the absence of hope.
It kindles frustration, anger and mindless violence. It is tragic that the birthplace of Christianity displays such intransigence and intolerance.
In this Jewish-Palestinian conflict there is an absence of forgiveness or turning the other cheek.
The window for creating the two-state solution is closing, so it is questionable how Israel's democratic system will respond to the one-state alternative. History indicates with some certainty that the future will continue to be torrid, violent and hopeless.
Christian Rogers, Wan Chai
 
Scenic walk spoiled by 'jail' railings
I have observed with horror yet another case of bad management in the case of providing suitable railings for a walkway that was designed for people to take a scenic walk between two beautiful bays.
The widely-spaced, open style of pole railings along the beautiful promenade between Repulse Bay and Deep Water Bay have been replaced with jail-like railings prohibiting all access to the little beach or rocks where dogs and owners alike used to enjoy frolicking in the water.
These new railings are in total contrast with the surrounding areas as they block out the continuous flow of promenade, rocks and water and generally just look clinical, jail-like and awful.
How can this be allowed? Can someone please do something to stop the desecration of this unique promenade?
Another issue which puzzles me is the hosing down of the pavements and the area around the shower/lifeguard place in Deep Water Bay when there is nothing to hose down and even more puzzling when this is done just after a downpour.
I can only hope they are using recycled water and not our precious water resources.
Juanita Pitt, Repulse Bay


Letters to the Editor, August 2, 2014

Use existing two runways more efficiently. Photo: David Wong

Hong Kong airport must meet global demand or risk falling behind

The bottleneck of an airport's capacity lies in its runway capacity, not in ground facilities such as terminal buildings. Photo: Nora Tam 

Let spoiled airlines fund Hong Kong's third runway, not the public purse

Why should the Hong Kong public purse pay for something that the beneficiaries themselves say is not worth their while? Photo: Jonathan Wong

McDonald's issues fresh apology but refuses to answer questions on rotten meat scandal

McDonald's sorry for lack of clarity, but won't clarify. Photo: Edward Wong

McDonald's sorry for lackof clarity, but won't clarify

Randy Lai apologises for a "lack of clarity". Photo: SCMP

Letters to the Editor, July 25, 2014

Mont Vert development in Fung Yuen, Tai Po. Photo: David Wong

Opinion

I am a former member of the Hong Kong airport consultative committee during the days before the development of the airport at Chek Lap Kok.
