Letters

l IT IS correct to observe that British business attitudes do not do much to redress our balance of payments deficit with China ("UK bids to woo the dragon", Business, 14 May). Such attitudes run deep. For example, most Britons, including the Independent on Sunday, persist in calling the capital of China "Peking", yet in 1949 the name was changed to "Beijing". Americans use this name but Britons do not have the basic politeness to do so. No wonder our contracts are comparatively small.

Dr A J Brimicombe

Crawley, West Sussex

l IN Nelson Mandela's interview ("People must be patient", 7 May) he gave a long catalogue of the tasks confronting him in the restructuring of South Africa. But he omitted the most glaring problem - population growth.

Keith Collins

Whitton, Middlesex

l YOUR profile of Christine Hancock ("Steady as she goes", 14 May) is a bit hard on the demon Redwood. He also, like Mr Waldegrave, is a fellow of All Souls and, as such, surely qualifies as an intellectual in this Cabinet.

T F H Hudson

Hungerford, Berkshire

l IF BRITAIN goes down the troubled road of allowing homosexuals in the armed forces, it will be inviting a litany of problems. It would not be so much an act of liberty as an abuse of it.

The social discipline and human behaviour required for such an integration simply would not work and this country would be well advised to adopt Italy's policy of a total ban, no matter what the liberal criticism it will attract here and in Europe.

Collin Rossini

Harwich, Essex