bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

Tibet has been part of China for 700 years
In his letter 'Rewriting history books'  (October 23), Marcus Anthony  wrote: 'It was China that invaded Tibet and rewrote its history books to make Tibet look like it had always been a part of China.'
Apparently Mr Anthony is no expert in Chinese history.
In ancient times, China went through repetitive cycles of unification and disintegration. During periods of disintegration, kingdoms fought against one another, and it is hard to say who invaded whom.
However, Tibet has been  an integral part of China since the establishment of the Yuan dynasty (1271),  more than 700 years ago.
From then on, throughout the Ming and  Ching dynasties, the Kuomintang regime and today's People's Republic, Tibet's political status  never changed.
When Mr Anthony said China invaded Tibet, I really do not know  which incident he is referring to.
On the issue of the Dalai Lama receiving an award from the Americans, it is obviously just a political manipulation to needle Beijing;  the great Dalai Lama is no more than a puppet on a string.
After all, what has he achieved to merit the award? Is it merely for being a political exile?
If that is the case, the  award should also be conferred on Thaksin Shinawatra, the exiled former leader of Thailand.
Nigel Ng, Happy Valley
More help for 'city of sadness'
The tragedy where a mother leapt to her death from her  24th-floor apartment,  after throwing her two children to their deaths, has once again put the spotlight on the 'city of sadness', Tin Shui Wai.
The shocking tragedy has raised concerns about domestic violence in Hong Kong. This is not the first time we have seen tragedy strike Tin Shui Wai. So why is history repeating itself?  It raises questions about whether government efforts to deal with these problems are sufficient.
One of the  most effective ways of dealing with this problem is to deploy more, experienced, social workers in the district, and I am glad the Social Welfare Department has decided to take this step.
However, it is important that these additional  social workers  are indeed experienced.
In Tin Shui Wai, most of the cases involve family problems, such as poor marriages and parent-child relationships.
Experienced social workers are  better at spotting potential problems before they become serious. This will enable them to deal with problems early on, maybe averting a tragedy.
Tin  Shui Wai is one of the many districts in Hong Kong that are home to  many new migrants from the mainland who are maybe scared of their unfamiliar surroundings.
They should be offered activities to help them integrate.  For instance, free language classes could be provided to those who cannot speak fluent Cantonese.
Activities planned around  traditional celebrations,  like the Mid-Autumn Festival, could be held at public estates. This would offer chances for mainland immigrants - especially housewives and their children - to communicate with each other and become familiar with their neighbourhood.
Kitty Tang Ching-ching, Sha Tin
Failure to tackle HK's 'wall effect'
In Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's policy address this month, a lot of initiatives were set out  for tackling Hong Kong's  air pollution problem.
However, it seems there are no  regulations strong enough to deal with the 'wall effect' - tall buildings blocking the movement of air.
Reference was made to lowering  development densities, but not to limiting  the height of buildings. If that height  is not restricted, the wall effect will get worse.
This problem is extremely serious along the shores of Victoria Harbour. Various  sky-high residential and commercial buildings have been erected along the harbourfront, such as The Arch and IFC.    By blocking the beneficial breezes,  they affect  the air quality of entire districts of the city.
The chief executive's proposal of a 'slight reduction of development density' will not be enough to alleviate this problem.
Candy Ho, Tsing Yi
BBC notices our air pollution
Hong Kong featured in BBC World's travel programme Fast Track, broadcast on  October 16, not for its exotic appeal or its shopping malls, but for its choking air pollution.
Is this really the image we want the world to have of us? The Hong Kong government should take urgent note.
J.R. Henderson, Sai Kung
Water wasted
by Starbucks
It was interesting to see the article about Starbucks' use of water in Beijing, and the fact that they are wasting over 100 tonnes per day  -  by keeping a small tap running continuously to rinse utensils ('Starbucks in the grinder over water use',  October 13).
I have drawn attention to this same issue a number of times in Hong Kong over the past two years,  with no response. Even members of staff do not seem to understand the issue, most likely because they are trained to keep the tap running, creating  an enormous waste of water.
It was unfortunate  that Starbucks' spokeswoman said  the company was using standard global practice, and would not make changes for its China operations. This means that the 'environmentally friendly' Starbucks is wasting over 28,800 cubic metres of water per day around the world in  its 14,400 stores. That is the amount of water produced by  a fairly large desalination plant, and equal to the contents of over 4,100 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
If such a  plant were to run year-round making fresh water, it would need over 31,500MW of electricity to operate, generating over 15,700 tonnes of carbon dioxide.  This number will increase by over 16 per cent next year, as 2,600 new Starbucks outlets open around the world.
Sadly, in many places, including Hong Kong, the price of water does not reflect its value to humanity because it is over-subsidised. This leads to a large amount of waste and lack of concern for the resource itself.
In many countries and  the investment world, a new term is emerging:  'blue gold'. This refers to water,   a resource that is rapidly depleting due to pollution, drought and other pressures from human populations.
To have a company claim that it needs to run water continuously to rinse utensils - when in fact there is no hygienic value at all in doing so - should be a shock to its customers. Water without soap or anti-bacterial agents cannot  hygienically clean things with such a low flow rate.
Could Starbucks please come clean on this issue? It is time to turn off the tap.
Douglas Woodring, Mid-Levels
Odd couple - 'joy' and gallows
In the report 'Architects defend plans for police station tower'  (October 19),  the designers argue that the 160-metre glass structure is a manifestation of 'joyful life'. But surely a good design must bear relevance to the existing buildings that are to be preserved.
The courtyard where this glass tower is to be located was a prison exercise yard and the gallows site for hangings - hardly a case  of 'joyful life'. In the debate on conservancy, the government has been accused of trying to cover up Hong Kong's colonial past. Is this a prime example?
Roger Emmerton, Wan Chai



New South Korean Starbucks offers rare view of North Korea

Apple, Tesla and Starbucks to face testing time in China under second Trump administration

Amid talk of stake sale, Starbucks seeks ‘strategic partnership’ in China to regain perk

Anger brews in Malaysia over Chinese milk tea giant Chagee’s response to ‘rigged’ contest

Starbucks

Letters