Newsstands add cultural value

It is illogical that the same authority that had good reasons for introducing the newsstands originally is now demolishing them without proper warning before the contracts expire. Such conflicting actions are actually an abuse of public power whereby the urban authorities feel they can simply ban or demolish something that gets in the way of their idea of a modern city. But, it is unwise to make regulations just for ease of management, which is undoubtedly a simple and crude mode of administration.

With the development of rule of law in our society, urban regulators should govern according to the laws without randomly acting as they see fit. After all, the city belongs to the people, not just the officials. Urban development should not be simply determined by officials' personal preferences.

Southern Metropolis Daily, Aug 12

It is false to claim that demolishing the legal newsstands is in the name of removing eyesores from the streets, because those newsstands are not the main things marring Beijing's appearance. Instead, those hawkers selling snacks, fruits and groceries along the streets should be seriously regulated nowadays. When starting a campaign to clean up the city, it does not make sense to target those newsstands that add to people's cultural lives.

China Industrial and Economic News, Aug 12

Maybe for some, a city without newsstands looks cleaner. However, for many people living in the capital, such humble newsstands are an essential part of city life.

Even if those legal newsstands must be demolished by force for some reason, the authority should fully consult the public and negotiate with those who run the newsstands first. Most importantly, they need to come up with a reasonable alternative solution, like moving those newsstands to other sites so people can still conveniently buy newspapers and periodicals.

In practice, a good city image can coexist with newsstands in the streets, and there is no ideal city for cleanliness worldwide even without any newsstands on the streets. Therefore, it is hoped that respect for the cultural value and identity of newsstands can be a consensus in our society.

Jingme.net, Aug 11

(China Daily 08/13/2014 page8)