Fiji/China Belt and Road

Initiative Negotiations

Christopher Jackson Mar, Nadi

It is great to hear that negotiations are in progress for the Fiji-China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) negotiations.

There is a huge trade gap favouring China that needs to be addressed. President Xi has significantly grown the relationship be­tween our two countries providing aid, soft loans and people to people exchanges.

With BRI, there are very good shipping ser­vices but no direct flights between the two countries to facilitate trade and tourism.

China would be wise to provide bilateral air services agreement between Fiji and China (without fifth freedom rights).

Countries like Australia and New Zealand already have air services agreements (with­out fifth freedom rights) reaping significant benefits from Chinese outbound tourism yet Fiji still patiently waits for a similar agree­ment unfairly blocked by China’s power­ful airlines. By allowing Fiji air services agreement, China will recognize the special needs of small developing countries in or­der to trade fairly in goods and services with China, a giant economic power. This will go some way to narrow the trade imbalance.

This move will also be in line with the ob­jectives of BRI and will enhance and ce­ment the strong and friendly relationship between our two countries.

Football Laws of the Game

Nilesh Lal, Suva

I refer to a commentary by a popular commentator in saying: ‘goalkeepers are protected in the six yard box’. Contrary to this, the only function of the goal area, also known colloquially as the ‘goal box’, or ‘6-yard box’ is to limit the area where a goal kick is taken.

A goal kick in association football is the way to restart the game when the ball has been kicked past the goal line and outside the goal by the attacking team. Therefore, the 6-yard box is only there for restart pur­poses and it plays no part in the general open play of the game or should not be con­sidered special in any decision making by the referee.

Goalkeepers are ‘protected’ inside the whole penalty area (18 yard box) in that the Laws of the Game (LOTG) state that: ‘When a goalkeeper has gained possession of the ball with his hands, he cannot be challenged by an opponent’. There is no significance of the 6-yard box in providing any special priv­ilege to the goalkeeper.

I hope the concerned football commentator will take note and refrain from spreading misinformation. Football commentators will be doing a great service to the game if they read and understand FIFA Laws of the Game, the latest version of which is avail­able on the FIFA website.

Paris 7’s Loss

Kirti Patel, Lautoka

Thank you Fiji Airways Fijian 7s team for your performance. Thank you for your hard work. Although defence is still some­thing that really needs improving. England displayed good defence and so did Kenya. It is not a factor of losing rather the plac­es where the improvements can be made. When the team brushes up on its defence, only then will our game improve.

Dear coach Gareth Baber please emphasise major training on good defence. It is needed very much. Those blind kicks could have been avoided as well.

However, we thank you all for your effort again. While it is sad the series was not in our favour nothing changes the fact that Fiji is the rugby champions and the majority of us kept you in our thoughts and prayers. Fiji all the way!

Fiji’s Loss.

Sukha Singh, Labasa

I would blame Fiji’s loss in the Paris Sevens to the probability theory.

World Environment Day.

Maria Tavaga, Ba

We must try to be good citizens of our country in minimising harm to our envi­ronment. With the theme Beat Plastic Pollu­tion, we must make a commitment to reduce the use of plastics in our homes, at work, in school and anywhere else. We all know the harmful effects that plastics can do to our environment and that it also takes a longer time to decompose.

So we need to make use of our own Fijian made products like reusable shopping or tote bags by investing in them or buying and reusing them every time we go shopping.

Rule of law

Amenatave Yaconisau, Delainavesi

I fully agree with Nemani Delaibatiki’s ar­ticle in ‘My Say’ where he expressed the im­portance of the rule of law(FS 11/6) .

But we should all start from the top in this emerging Fiji not by choice. Were search warrants issued as expected before a search is done and by whom? Are they legally pow­ered to stop the installation? We must all follow the law. This is the characteristic of liberal democracies. Does this reflect local opinion and interest?

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