Asian pop is more than just K-pop, Chinese pop culture is a treasure trove too

Your newspaper’s lifestyle section has a tab titled “K-pop, Mandopop and other Asian pop”, yet when one clicks on it almost all the articles have to do with K-pop only. I’m not saying you shouldn’t focus on K-pop, but for an “Asian pop” section it lacks a regional scope.

It is strange that the South China Morning Post would have so few articles on Chinese pop. After all, the Post is based in Hong Kong.

There is also a lot to be mined in the treasure trove of Chinese pop. The Post’s many Chinese journalists are more than capable of translating trending Weibo “hot topics” for an English-speaking audience, as they do regularly with geopolitical topics with great accuracy. It would also help promote Chinese culture to non-Chinese audiences.

To give an example, Episode 1 of the Chinese animated series Mo Dao Zu Shi, or Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, has more than 6 million views on YouTube, while the English translation of the novel on which it is based is selling very well on Amazon. That is just one of many examples of Chinese soft power. The game Genshin Impact, from Chinese studio miHoYo, is another.

Genshin Impact is biggest international launch of a Chinese game ever

With the increasing skill of Chinese film producers, animators and singer-songwriters, this trend will continue. The Post’s lifestyle section should reflect this, in addition to reporting on other Asian countries’ pop culture.

Arlen Skazka, Melbourne

Russia just trying to keep friendly neighbourhood

Your article “The messages for China and the US in Putin’s trip to India” (December 11) forgets that it is a small world. There is only one country with the largest economy, one with the most wealth, one with the most territory and one with the largest democracy.

An old friend told me that in Moscow, with its millions of people, I can quarrel with some people. Meanwhile, in my native town of Kyzyl in Siberia with very few inhabitants, he must be friendly with everyone.

Russian President Vladimir Putin subscribes to that theory, with Russia supplying both China and India with S-400 missile defence systems to rule out an attack by either side. US President Joe Biden is pushing at an open door to demand freedom of navigation in the South China Sea while President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are locked in a border dispute.

The Russian president’s message is clear. The United States might be successful in South Korea, Russia in Syria and Crimea, China in Tibet, and India in its skirmishes with Pakistan, but the four nuclear superpowers simply cannot be successful with one another.

Mergen Mongush, Moscow

Fix public health system to meet people’s needs

I refer to two letters on health care in Hong Kong, “Are our students of medicine prepared to practise it?” and “Funding will go long way in eHealth promotion” (December 10).

There is no doubt Hong Kong’s public health system is under stress. The Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme introduced by the government is a step in the right direction, but will people with pre-existing conditions get any benefit from this?

I have encountered few medical staff who treat patients and their family members with respect and care. In Hong Kong, not enough doctors work in the public health sector. All medical practitioners are bright and capable individuals, but some lack the ability and patience to deal with patients and stakeholders.

Is it necessary that doctors should be the best students? Can we offer more students places?

As for eHealth, the government should require all health records, whether public or private, to be centralised and that all citizens pay a small annual fee of HK$100 (US$13) or so to contribute to the system. So many resources are wasted because patients have to repeat the same tests when they access the public and private health systems. Sharing resources and avoiding duplication will allow for better efficiency, awareness and results.

In summary, Hong Kong’s public health system needs a revamp to cater to the needs of residents. We talk about equality, but little has been achieved on this front. Our health system does not maximise output, resources – especially good doctors – are insufficient and the sector is not attracting the right talent.

William Yuen, Sai Kung

Use benchmarks to improve carbon calculators

I refer to the letter “Is the city’s carbon footprint calculator cost-effective?” (November 19). I think the carbon calculator developed by the Environment Bureau should use carbon benchmarking to better inform users.

The carbon calculators developed by the WWF and CoolClimate Network both offer this feature. The WWF calculator compares the user’s carbon footprint with the British and world averages and encourages the user to reach a specific emissions reduction target.

The CoolClimate Network calculator shows how users perform relative to others in their region. Hong Kong’s calculator should also benchmark users’ carbon footprints against those of residents in cities such as Singapore and those in the Greater Bay Area.

The Environment Bureau staff should emulate Ian Campbell, designer of a widely used carbon calculator, and tell users their carbon emissions based on questions such as the number of cars owned and whether the users are vegetarian.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world can only afford to release 400 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2021 if we want to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius. A better-designed carbon calculator can help Hong Kong residents play a part in averting global climate disasters.

Yoyo Yu, Kowloon Tong