China’s progress

Re “The melamine-tainted trail,” editorial, Oct. 29

China may be catching up with the U.S. in space exploration, but in terms of economic progress, it is still 100 years behind, as evidenced by the recent melamine-tainted-food scandal.

The economy of China is undergoing its initial stages of growth -- chaotic and primitive -- just as the American economy was a century ago, as illustrated in Upton Sinclair’s book “The Jungle.”

Fortunately, America had a great leader in President Theodore Roosevelt, who had the vision to foster the Food and Drugs Act and thus raise the American food supply to “world class” standards.

A Chinese leader is yet to be born with such foresight. Small wonder Taiwan persistently pursues its own membership in the World Health Organization -- because the rights and health of 23 million Taiwanese must not depend on the “rogue food-producing nation” of mainland China.

Vincent Yin

Los Angeles