Why not buy Chinese?

As the author of the article "Multinationals with double standards" (Shanghai Star, February 19-25) wrote, GSK is not alone in fooling Chinese consumers. Dozens of similar cases have been reported in recent years.

Loopholes in China's laws and regulations are one main reason why some multinationals are able to practise double standards, but poor choices in choosing products shown by some consumers are another.

The old idea that foreign brands represent advanced technology hasn't faded from these people's minds. While Haier is now a world famous brand, not many Chinese people look favourably on such domestic producers.

Yet the technological gap is narrowing and we have our own advantages, such as a cheap labour force. Low prices no longer equal low quality.

We Chinese shouldn't be fooled any longer. In order to share the market in China, multinationals should adopt universal standards and treat every consumer fairly.

In addition, we consumers should give up our prejudices against domestically manufactured products. Why not give them a chance?

Angela Sun

Cultivating relationships

Recently, a friend of mine, an immigrant from a neighbouring province, was furious because of the trouble he encountered while shopping for Valentine's Day. He was over-excited at the time because his girlfriend, a fellow villager, was coming to enjoy this romantic time with him.

Unfortunately, while shopping in a supermarket, he lost his wallet containing 1,000 yuan, and two credit cards. The loss totaled more than 3,000 yuan, despite his attempts to freeze his credit cards, and what was worse, he lost his ID card as well. He was deeply annoyed by his bad luck, saying: "I planned to buy my girlfriend a piece of exquisite jewelery to show my sincerity, but now I can't even afford her to stay in Shanghai for a week."

My friend blamed himself, but aren't the supermarket and credit card company also partly to blame? The former refused to assist him when he first noticed the problem, with the cashier merely complaining about the long queue. As for the credit card company - 2,000 yuan of his loss was due to their weak security.

Some firms neglect their relationships with consumers, but unless they promptly work to establish harmony with their clients they will be left behind by social and economic reform.

Liu Ziyi

Abhorrence of cruelty

A beautiful woman has seen her dreams destroyed forever when she was disfigured by a malicious colleague, leaving her to live a heart-rending life in the years ahead ("Corrosive hatred", Shanghai Star, February 12-18).

In recent years, such vicious cases have occurred often around the country but how can we understand the motivation behind them? Among them, conflict arising from complicated feelings or from love triangles constitute the overwhelming majority of cases.

The policy-making and judicial departments should strictly punish such criminals and those who provide them with harmful chemicals.

Zhang Hui

Rights of beggars

I read the article on "The rights of beggars" (Shanghai Star, February 5-11) and I feel I have something to say - it's sticking like a fishbone in my throat.

I always take a stance on the beggars: most just pretend to be poor in order to evade work. One day, when I was a middle school student, I wandered in the street with my classmates to kill time. Suddenly, I heard a man's voice behind me: "Give me money for medicine, give me money for medicine". I looked around to see a man about 50 years old following rapidly. He spoke as if we were his offspring having no sympathy for his illness. What a cheek!

Now, as an adult, I read in a newspaper how beggars "get to their workplace" by taxi or rent apartments with two rooms. Maybe somebody will say: "You really have no sympathy for the poor", but I would deny that.

We should care about the poor of course, and a society without beggars may be impossible, but the government should aim to reduce the number of the beggars on the streets. How? By prohibiting begging in certain streets.

If you think this would mean the government doesn't care about the poor, you are completely wrong. Ever more shelters have been built to help the truly poor.

If you think what the government has done, is doing and will do means nothing to the poor, then what can I still say to you?

Robbin Liu