The economy has to be stopped from becoming overheated and to ensure that
officials at all levels will implement the central government's policies, the
country's highest leadership said yesterday.
The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) gave the call
after central government inspection teams found some local governments are
ignoring the State Council's decision to save energy and cut greenhouse gas
emission, and are still investing heavily in high resource-consuming sectors.
"All the local governments, especially leading officials, should implement
the central government's measures to the
letter," the Political Bureau said at its meeting, chaired by President Hu Jintao.
It told all local governments to understand the consequences of the
blistering economic growth: 11.9 percent in the second quarter, and 11.5 percent
in the first half of the year.
Fixed-asset investment in urban
areas jumped 26.7 percent in the first half year-on-year and a large part of the
money went into industries that consume huge amounts of energy.
"The priority now is to prevent the economy from overheating," the meeting
said.
Hu emphasized the importance of seeing the ever-changing domestic and
international economic environment in the right perspective, and called for
continual effort to tackle issues such as excessive
liquidity and overcapacity.
Agricultural production, especially grain output, should be increased and the
development of agricultural infrastructure accelerated, he said.
Efforts to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions should be
intensified, Hu said. People's lives should be improved by tackling problems
that concern them, such as those associated with education, employment,
healthcare, housing, and work safety.
The "commitment" to cutting energy consumption per unit of GDP by 20 percent
during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10) is a "challenge", the CPC Political
Bureau said.
Experts said some local governments don't have enough funds to meet the goal.
Huang Shengchu, president of the China Coal Information Institute, said the
current situation is not because of difference in thinking but because some
local governments lack funds.
(China Daily 07/27/2007 page 1)
Vocabulary:
to the letter：不折不扣；絲毫不差
chair：主持（會議、討論等）
fixed-asset investment：固定資產(chǎn)投資
excessive liquidity：流動性過剩
Questions:
1. What prompted the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China to give
the call?
2. What is the government's priority concerning the economy?
3. In Huang Shengchu's opinion, why are local governments not following the
CPC's orders?
Answers:
1. The central government inspection teams found some local governments are
ignoring the State Council's decision to save energy and cut greenhouse gas
emissions, and are still investing heavily in high resource-consuming sectors.
2. To prevent the economy from overheating.
3. They are not disobeying because of a difference in thinking, but because
some local governments lack funds.
（英語點津 Linda 編輯）
About the broadcaster:
Suzann Riddle is a senior double majoring in Health Care
Management and Economics at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. She finds
herself at China Daily Website after visiting many areas of China as a Holland
Fellow, Appalachian's international exchange program with Fudan University.
Suzann Riddle is a senior double majoring in Health Care
Management and Economics at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. She finds
herself at China Daily Website after visiting many areas of China as a Holland
Fellow, Appalachian's international exchange program with Fudan University.
