I refer to the letter from J. Garner headlined, 'Adherence to Marxism insults Chinese people', which appeared in the South China Morning Post, on October 2. When looking at what is happening in the mainland, it helps to use a golf analogy. It is always hard, when learning to play golf, to find a good coach. The trainee golfer also has to practise a lot and make adjustments. Undeniably, satisfying the physical needs of 1.3 billion people takes a great deal of effort, but the government in Beijing has always seen this as being the No 1 priority. What China needs now, in order to meet this formidable goal, are national unity, political stability and an environment free from external threats. It is clear from looking at the history of China and the experience of other countries that any reform that is too drastic or that is attempted too fast is prone to failure. With the basic living standards of our people improved, other types of reforms will follow on naturally and the chance of them succeeding will be greater if basic needs have been met. Mr Garner does not seem to appreciate what the past two generations of Chinese have achieved. Before 1949, the country faced external threats and previous administrations had been forced to sign unequal treaties. DENNIS MUI HEUNG-FU Pokfulam
