Because maintaining stability in Asia is so crucial to U.S. interests, it would be wise to redouble commitments to longtime allies there. Taiwan is the 10th-largest trade partner to the United States and is an asset to U.S. strategic interests; Taiwan is also in need of a strong defensive capacity. The recent proposal of arms sales to Taiwan is a promising development for overall defense concerns in the Taiwan Strait.

By focusing on existing allies and trade partners other than China, the United States can support its strategic interests concretely, rather than relying on potentially unpredictable trade integration to maintain a meaningful presence in the Asia-Pacific.

Eugenia Yun

Bethesda

Obama should still talk health reform

Re: “What Obama should say in his State of the Union,” Jan. 27

As the State of the Union is upon us, I am reflecting on three people who are important to me. The first is my grandfather, who died last year after his skin cancer spread and affected his brain. The second is my uncle, who was diagnosed last year with stage III cancer. And the third is President Obama as he gears up to deliver his first State of the Union address, because last year Obama made the bold statement that we will see an end to cancer in our lifetime. Pushing health care reform legislation across the finish line would bring us a lot closer to realizing the president’s promise.

It is time to take the president’s promise seriously, as we cannot fulfill the president’s promise of ending cancer in our lifetime if the country does not improve access to quality, affordable health care. The president has the opportunity during the State of the Union to reinvigorate Congress to finish health reform and take the fight against cancer in this country to a new level. Congress must act now to pass a comprehensive health care reform bill.

Kim Smith

Washington  

Corporations and political contributions: Let the shareholders decide

Re: “Supreme Court: Free speech for all,” Jan. 21

The Supreme Court has it right. The right to free speech must be preserved. Those who fear that elections can now be bought should ask Congress to require that all political advertising clearly identify those that pay for the statements or state that they wish to remain anonymous. We, the public, could then fairly decide if we wished to buy into the content.

How, now, about corporations and labor unions? Congress could require that their shareholders or members approve, in advance, the spending of funds by the officers for political actions.

If McCain-Feingold had not been passed, I would not believe that these proposals could become law, but apparently anything is possible.

David Abraham

Rockville