Q Has Hong Kong overreacted to the food scares?
If the same thing happened in developed countries, the reaction would be much more serious. China is striving to become a modern and developed country in the world and it should measure up not only in terms of economic development but also in terms of food safety. Instead of grumbling about the stringent requirements of Hong Kong people, mainland fishermen need to heighten their awareness of food safety and improve the quality of their fish.
Though this incident is a strong blow to them, once they really make an effort to ensure food safety, consumer confidence will rebound and the health of people will be protected as a result.
Steve Maxwell, Tung Chung
Q Is it fair to charge mainlanders more for maternity services?
The latest measure by [private hospitals] to raise the cost of giving birth to HK$50,000 is doomed to fail to have the desired effect of curbing the problem. The reasons are not difficult to see. Apart from evading the stringent population controls on the mainland, visitor mothers still consider the higher charge worth it, given the high quality of medical service here. I think most of those choosing to have their babies in Hong Kong are from the affluent cities and that the new charge is in no way prohibitive.