LETTERS

Regional integration seems all the rage these days， and has reached a peak with the planning of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei trilateral economic sphere， whose population accounts for 1/14 of the national total. According to the plan， the Chinese capital will move some of its administrative functions， industries， and public institutions， including universities and research institutes， as well as part of its population to the two neighboring regions. The goal is to ease population pressure in Beijing and increase competitiveness in the surrounding areas. There are reports of new- and hi-tech industrial parks under construction in Tianjin and Hebei， and housing prices are climbing in anticipation of an infl ux of migrants. But Rome was not built in a day. It is unlikely that any neighboring cities or provinces， despite being bolstered by administrative orders， will rival Beijings appeal to job seekers and businesses any time soon. It may take decades to reach that goal. However， the integration plan indicates a move in the right direction towards more even development across the nation.

Xu Meilan

Tianjin， China

After a series of terrorist attacks by Xinjiang thugs， some people admit they feel anxious in the presence of Uygurs. This is a dangerous and irrational trend. Most of my friends who have been to the frontier region were impressed by the hospitality of locals they met. We should consistently guard against stereotyping people of different ethnic origins. At the same time， I strongly dispute the allegation that Han migration into Xinjiang is the cause of discontent among ethnic minorities in the area. Here in Guangzhou， migrants accounted for close to 40 percent of total residents back in 2012. This diversity is believed the source of vitality and creativity for a metropolis that has been at the forefront in Chinas economic and social development. There is no point in shutting off a particular area of the nation to protect the privilege of natives in this increasingly globalized world.

Wei Ming

Guangzhou， China

Unlike the unconditional welcome China extended to foreign investments 30 years ago， the world has a mixed feelings towards the growing volume of Chinese capital going abroad. Several high-profi le acquisitions by Chinese companies were aborted under pressure from host country governments on national security grounds or other pretenses. A quarter century ago， Americans were rattled by a surge of money coming from Japan. Now investment from the Asian country has become a major source of employment in the U.S. As a recent Time magazine report says， “Perhaps certain Chinese deals should be examined with a discerning eye， especially on national security grounds. But overall， greater Chinese investment could boost growth and jobs in the U.S. Soon Chinese investors will probably seem every bit as ordinary.”

Ning Fan

Chongqing， China