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SCMP Reporter

Parents push us for our own good
I hated my parents when I was small. At that time, I thought I had no status at home. My parents were so strange to me. Whatever I did seemed to be wrong or a waste of time.
I still did my best to do what they wanted of me. I did my homework and studied hard every day, especially before exams. If I got low marks, I would be punished. I used to cry and I hated them so much. I really wanted someone to understand me.
Now, I am not a child anymore and I realise that all the things my parents did were all for my own good. All parents love their children and want them to have a good future. They push us because they love us. We should appreciate them for their efforts.
Amanda Chan Tin-yan, Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College 
Allow the shoe shiners to stay
I think the shoe shiners should be allowed to stay in Theatre Lane. They have been there for many years. In the past, office workers used to go there and have the shoe shiners clean their shoes. But today very few people use their services.
Hongkongers see shoe shiners as just for foreign tourists. But, actually, they are part of the history of Hong Kong.
Shoe shiners do not need much space to do their work - just a little corner would do - but the government says they make it inconvenient for people to walk along the street.
In my opinion, the redevelopment of old districts is important, but we should cherish our history. Eliminating the shoe shiners means Hong Kong will lose another dynamic tradition.
Kristy Chan Sze-wing 
Greet China's  rise with pride
China is becoming stronger and celebrated its 60th anniversary this year. China used to be a poor country, and many people (including some Hongkongers) looked down on it. But today it is improving at a rapid rate and becoming a more well-off society. 
Furthermore, World Bank president Robert Zoellick has called China a stabilising power, and more and more people are accepting the yuan as a global currency.
This shows that China is gaining respect.
There is no doubt that last year's Olympic Games were important in this respect. The 60th anniversary celebrations have further enhanced the country's image, surprising the world with an impressive display of modern weaponry.
I think the fact that China is catching up with the United States as a global power proves that all the hard work of the Chinese people has not been in vain, and if we keep it up, China can continue to become a stronger nation.
As a Chinese, I am happy to see the successes of the motherland. But this does not mean we can slack off. There will undoubtedly be many more challenges and difficulties in the future if we are to make China the truly great nation it deserves to be.
Angel Chung 
Powerful nations should co-operate
Recent events seem to suggest that relations between Russia and China are improving. On a recent visit to China, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin signed a missile notification pact with China. 
But are the two countries really so close? Less than three weeks earlier, Russia signed a treaty with the United States aimed at reducing nuclear weapons, and both countries agreed to end any weapons programmes aimed at one another. I think this reflects concern about the rise of China recently. 
I've come to realise that all three countries are friends and foes at the same time. I wish they could learn to co-operate and think from a global perspective. Our world would be a much better place if they did. After all, they are among the most influential countries in world politics and they should act responsibly.
Perlie Mong, St Paul's Co-Educational College



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