the writer ba jin, in his essay "thoughts: reform of chinese characters" (), urged caution in any reforms to the written chinese language. he cited the inability of those educated in hong kong or taiwan to read material published on the mainland, and vice versa, as a great disadvantage of simplified chinese. he also cited the ability to communicate, not just with chinese peoples of various regions, but also with people from across the chinese cultural sphere — countries such as japan and vietnam — as a great advantage of the written chinese language that should not be undermined by excessive simplification.