China flushing out urban hygiene issues | Brief letters

Chinese public toilets | Guardian letters | Cuttlefish signalling | Driverless boats | Productivity | Paddington 2

Your report on Xi Jinping’s drive to improve China’s public toilets (Xi Jinping makes China’s toilets a number two priority, 28 November) made me wonder if he isn’t calling for an end to the “One country, two cisterns” strategy. And while China’s public toilets may not be as clean and hygienic as they could be, they are at least in plentiful supply. On a recent wander around London, I was appalled at the dearth of public facilities. If Xi’s toilet drive is coupled with broader urban hygiene improvement measures, then the results should be impressive. 
Andrew Benton
Beijing, China

• Keith Flett (Letters, 25 November) challenges your paper “to rebirth itself” in the era of new formats. I know he supports my oft-repeated suggestion that the letters page as a two-page wall would allow expert contributors, particularly with expertise, space to properly develop and illustrate their points. It is an important space and place for the country to debate opinions within an edited framework.
Peter Hack
Presteigne, Powys

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