EV charging

    IN the past few months, China’s Central Government has released new policies to better protect the environment and air quality, especially in large metropolises.

    Of course, Shenzhen is among the cities that should make more efforts to fight against the pollution caused by the emissions of the more than 3 million cars that inhabit our beautiful city.

    Shenzhen is at the forefront of electric public transportation, but it is not doing enough to promote the use of private green cars. Public charging stations that are accessible to everybody should be built to encourage more people to use electric cars.

    It’s not enough to lower the purchasing price of electric vehicles (EVs). A lack of charging stations will deter people from buying new-energy cars.

    What is needed is fast-charging stations that meet national standards. New charging stations can recharge an electric vehicle in less than 30 minutes, making it more convenient to use green cars.

    Even the private installation of charging points at home is not always easy since many management offices of large communities in Shenzhen refuse to install private charging points in their garages. Therefore, it is important not only to build public charging stations, but also to issue clear municipal regulations that allow owners of electric cars to install their own charging points in their garages at their residential buildings.

    American electric vehicle maker Tesla now has a dealership in Shenzhen. Tesla has set up a free-of-charge fast-charging station in Shenzhen, as well as a charging point near the Metro station exit in Shekou.

    Shenzhen should also make it easier for users of electric cars — not just Tesla — to move around the city, as a necessary step in reducing air pollution.

    Marco Loglio via email

    Japan politics

    OVER the weekend, Chinese President Xi Jinping joined survivors and relatives of victims of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre at a ceremony to commemorate the more than 300,000 people slaughtered by Japanese aggressors.

    The event was of particular significance because some Japanese politicians are attempting to whitewash their country’s dark past and gloss over its war-time atrocities.

    Alarming examples include visits by Japanese officials and parliament members to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which honors 14 convicted Class-A WWII war criminals among Japan’s war dead, and denials of the forcible recruitment of foreign sex slaves.

    Whoever won Japan’s lower house election yesterday should decide how to deal with the country’s alarming rightward drift, which has frozen the political ties between Japan and its neighbors, with severe implications on the country’s struggling highly export-dependent economy.

    Japanese politicians should face up to history and rebuild trust with neighboring countries if they are sincere in securing regional stability.

    Qiao Ben via email