I refer to the letter Important for Malay media to expose Chinese culture . The writer is incorrect in assuming the following:

Time magazine reported that during the recent recession all business sales declined in the US except gun sales. Evidently many Americans have lost confidence in their security.’

This is a silly assumption; indeed, I now assume the writer has absolutely no interest in the search for truth – only in propaganda extolling the superiority of Chinese culture.

Even my ex-wife, a Chinese Malaysian who lives in the US, would find both assumptions – that we live in fear in the US and need to adopot Chinese culture – amusing.

The reason for the increase in American gun sales is simply the fear in certain gun-loving rural areas that President Obama, as a left-leaning Democrat, will push through legislation to ban private ownership of guns.

The spike in gun sales is thus pre-emptive and has nothing to do with any perception of poor security.

The writer also conveniently forgets there is little academic freedom or freedom of expression in China today.

In fact, the one way to become a successful writer in China these days is to get your book banned there. Only then does the international community take notice, and sales soar.

Meanwhile, severe censorship of literature, news media and the internet have a devastating effect on the exchange of ideas, knowledge and even business.