Your correspondent S McLean is absolutely right when he says our governments need to keep a close eye on China.

Even though foreign journalists are mainly treated with disdain they too have a duty to accurately report the abuse of dissidents and minorities going on in China today. The clamp down and abuse of people's rights under the 50 Year Handover Agreement in Hong Kong and the abusive and physical torture of the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang Province in the north of China is inexcusable.

Our guide last year in Xian, the old capital of China - a city today of ten million people - told us there were between 600 and 700,000 cameras watching the people in the main areas of the city.

No one is allowed to speak out against the ruling regime otherwise they will be severely punished or suddenly disappear.

Not only did China force a takeover of Tibet some years ago but it is now trying to dominate
the South China Seas causing the Philippines and other nations in the area real fear because of the islands they have built and are establishing military bases on.

Very few people in New Zealand know about The Chinese Belt and Road Initiative which would give China the opportunity to trade with numerous countries around the world. It is a modern resurrection of The Old Silk Road Route commencing in Xian, China through the Northern Hemisphere countries to Istanbul and down the Mediterranean to Venice. The Belt being a connecting Maritime Belt down through The South China Seas through Indonesia and Malaysia across the Indian Ocean to India, up through the Suez Canal across the Mediterranean and meeting up in Venice, Italy again. This would give China complete dominance of world trade.

They recently launched a satellite into space which they said was to monitor The Belt & Road progress and many other things and places as well I guess.

M Hills, Hairini