Comments lack reasoning

APROPOS of Tsang Yok-sing's first column (South China Morning Post, September 28), I have the following observations to make. Let me first make my political stand clear: I am a democrat, but I do admire Mr Tsang for his courage of conviction. He has been a passionate defender of China's cause and, above all, he is patriotic. I regard him as (for want of a better term) a thinking man's leftist.

But I must take issue with him on a number of points. The opening salvo was that had Governor Patten understood more about Chinese language and literature, he might be ''more comfortable, if not more competent''. Surely, a non sequitur, if there ever wasone.

As for picking the brains of that redoubtable Mr Chang of Xinhua (the New China News Agency) on the subtlety of Chinese metaphors, can't we find a more apposite candidate? Talk about a bull in the china shop; a rhino is more like it.

I, too, can supply an example of someone who claims a virtue he lacks: Li Peng recently exhorted all Communist Party members to learn and observe the law. Need I say more? CHAN SUI-WA Western