Readers, Please Don't be Absent!

Every so often, the editors of Sinorama meet for a process of self examination, discussing whether the direction we are heading is consistent with the imperative for which we were chartered, " forming a bridge of communication for all Chinese, in China and overseas." We also consider whether the needs of our readers are being properly "cared for."

In one on-the-job training workshop held for our writers, these kinds of question were brought up repeatedly. Scholars and experts reminded us that Sinorama still has a lot of room, and our efforts should focus upon interaction with the readers.

Currently the three main categories which Sinorama covers are Chinese abroad, cross-strait relations with mainland China, and the current state of the ROC. Politics, economics, society, environmental protection, culture and the arts all fall in the realm of our reportage. How ever, due to the fact that articles of a journalistic nature constitute the bulk of our periodical, space for our readers to speak has consequently diminished over time.

According to a reader survey conducted by the Taiwan newspaper China Times, second only to cover stories, the section readers most excitedly consume is lifestyles and leisure, and the majority of the contributors to this section are the readers themselves.

This has given us some very useful insights. Sinorama circulates in more than 100 countries throughout the world, and our readers are spread all over the globe. What a rich resource they must be. If readers living in Haiti or Malawi can tell us interesting anecdotes of their lives, we can see all the world in this grain of sand. Our magazine will be richer and more colorful.

Constructing our future sections, we plan to open up several columns in which readers can participate. For example, we can ask our foreign readers to trade child-rearing tips, telling us how you are educating the next generation; or you can send us one of your most satisfying pictures, telling us where you are. Maybe that will be small town in New Zealand or a small village in Swaziland. You can give us a brief description as to how many Chinese there are and what you do there. Sinorama readers at two ends of the world can make friends through our magazine. Related methods and details will be carried in subsequent editions of our publication.

In addition, holding activities is also a good way to communicate with our readers. Overseas immigration, overseas Chinese, overseas students, investors and so forth often need a lot of relevant domestic and overseas information. We hope that Sinorama can become a "window": those who plan to study abroad can find useful information in our Grand Tour of Famous Universities of the World; those who want to introduce Chinese culture to their non-Chinese friends will find our Trademarks of the Chinese quite satisfactory. Those who want to send their children to foreign boarding schools can receive useful facts. In addition to the sedentary role of data provider, we also plan to hold seminars during the busy season of academic travel, in which we will invite experts or writers who have first-hand knowledge to sit in, giving out all they know, in the hope that the period of adaptation of students visiting foreign countries can be shortened.

Recently our magazine's writers found a group of outstanding Chinese American engineers while conducting interviews in California's Silicon Valley. They work day and night to push forward in their careers, and therefore have never found the chance to "pop the big question." This problem didn't just surface overnight, but it seems to be more and more widespread. Besides reporting on the woes of conjugal absenteeism, what concrete steps can we take? We ask you readers to open your eyes wide and wait.

In this issue we have continued the economic focus of last month's cover story, but we have moved our field of vision across the Taiwan Strait. Given the hastening pace at which domestic enterprises have been emigrating to mainland China, will Taiwanese businessmen cultivate their own rivals on the mainland? Could it be that after the mainland ha s learned all the secrets of technology, it will turn around and beat the very master who taught it? This is a subject worth exploring.

In its rapid development process, Taiwan's traffic has become the nightmare of city dwellers. How can drivers in the greater Taipei area survive in this boiling quagmire? How can people in the same boat help each other? This may be the deepest concern of all the people affected by this social dilemma. Believe it or not, traffic reports can serve as the remedy here. But listening to traffic reports is nothing new. What we covered in this issue is why the folks across the strait stick to their shortwave radios. The answer is: they listen to Taiwan's traffic reports too. Dear readers, perhaps you cannot hear it yourself, but we invite you to explore along with us what is going on!