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The boys have class

Just wanted to convey my heartfelt good wishes to the little league team of Taiwan. If it were a world where dreams come true, for me the game the Kuei-Shan team won would have been a tie with the team from Reynosa, Mexico, because my wife and daughter and I lived for many years just 16km from Reynosa in ­McAllen, Texas.

We saw the many hardships the boys had to conquer and were so proud of them. When two teams represent their countries with such class and sportsmanship it makes an old man like me hope there is a better future for mankind. Give those boys a big hug and a great ­welcome — they did themselves proud.

JOE CASTRO

Orange Grove, Texas

Diplomatic game theory

The visit of the Dalai Lama is a plus to Taiwan, and China and Tibet as well. In the jargon of game theory, this game of three players — Taiwan, China and Tibet — has not reached a final solution yet. There is enough room for improvement over the current difficult situation for each party.

By allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Taiwan — albeit with a lot of bluffs and drama — China has quite a bit to gain from being more tolerant regarding Tibet. This is expected of a large country like China if it is to be respected.

It is well known that the Tibetan Plateau is the origin of many major rivers in Asia including the Yangtze, Yellow, Ganges and Mekong rivers. In this regard, Tibet is more of a common resource like the North or South Pole, which ought to be shared by all the people on the planet. In fact, about half of the world’s population depends on Tibet’s water supply. The sovereignty of Tibet needs to be handled with extreme care. This visit certainly adds weight in Tibet’s favor.

Taiwan benefits from the visit too: The image and the fact that Taiwan is a different country are again enhanced. Kudos to Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) and the heads of the seven counties and cities in southern Taiwan for their invitation. Without a doubt, Tibet, and perhaps Taiwan, are gaining a better rapport with the world community, as the Dalai Lama is such a charismatic religious leader that he draws crowds wherever he goes. Not surprisingly, the visit has increased the flexibility of the solution set to the Taiwan-China-Tibet problem.

How far can we push the envelope? What is the line that cannot be crossed for China? Only time can tell. Even though we are walking a tightrope now, the visit is a step in the right direction.

YANG CHIN-WEI

Chiayi
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