Stephen Orlins, one of the leading China watchers in the United States, lives on Beijing time these days. He has been busy following the coverage of China's National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. "I get CCTV 4 (a Chinese news channel) at home, watching every night as I go to sleep and seeing it every morning," said Orlins, president of the New York-based National Committee on US-China Relations. "I guess I'm one of the few Americans who does this," he said as he examined a newspaper page featuring some key policies discussed during the ongoing sessions. But for Orlins, who has led the committee since 2005 and has devoted almost 40 years to promoting US-China relations, it is important to follow the two sessions. "What they (the Chinese government) are talking about in all these different issues will determine the future of China and will determine the future of US-China relations," he said. "It's very interesting to see the interviews with the delegates and the press conferences," he noted. "It's a much more open, public process, and it's more media-conscious than it has been historically." The committee that Orlins leads also conducts some projects with the National People's Congress, including an annual visit he makes with a group of four US congressmen — Democrats and Republicans — to several Chinese cities and to meet deputies to the NPC. "So in my role, it's perfectly normal and natural that I follow it this closely," he said. "It's the next process of reform that we've seen — the 12th Five Year Plan, ... the Third Plenum and now we are seeing the two sessions. So it's a continuation of this process, and it's been fairly consistent in terms of what they have tried to implement," he said. Among major issues — including economic reform, urbanization and rural development — discussed in the sessions, Orlins, like many others, pays particular attention to discussions on environmental protection. He said the coverage of President Xi Jinping with delegates from Guangdong and Shanghai discussing the reduction of particulate matter emission levels shows that the country's leader cares about the pollution problem. "They are trying to pass laws, which will allow for tighter controls of pollution," said Orlins. "It's an enormous task, but clearly what's happening in these meetings is that the leadership is speaking pretty much with one voice." The key policy objective of environmental protection from this year's sessions says the government will fight pollution by focusing on improving the industrial structure, raising energy efficiency, reducing vehicle exhaust emissions and preventing and monitoring wind-borne dust. It will start by reducing PM10 and PM2.5 emissions, and implement a clean water action plan. "I think the focus is correct; the issue, as always, in China is the implementation," said Orlins. "It's a tough issue because it affects economic growth," he said, adding that China's economic growth should focus on quality not quantity. "The focus on the growth number has, I think, led to some pollution problems," he said. The key issue with tackling pollution, as Orlins points out, is whether the government will be willing to "pay that price" when tough environmental regulations are implemented that could potentially affect job creation, especially at local levels. On the question of local government implementation of anti-pollution laws, Orlins said: "It's a test." |
美國(guó)人歐倫斯(Stephen Orlins)是一位中國(guó)觀察家,最近這些日子他的生活節(jié)奏以北京時(shí)間為準(zhǔn)。 他正在密切關(guān)注著在中國(guó)舉行的人大和政協(xié)會(huì)議。 歐倫斯是總部位于紐約的美中關(guān)系全國(guó)委員會(huì)會(huì)長(zhǎng)(National Committee on US-China Relations)。他說(shuō):“在家里我能收到中央4套(中文新聞?lì)l道),每天晚上我睡前都要看看新聞,每天早上也同樣如此?!?/font> “我想我是少數(shù)這么做的美國(guó)人之一吧,”說(shuō)話間他正瀏覽著有關(guān)于兩會(huì)討論的核心政策的專(zhuān)題報(bào)道。 歐倫斯于2005年當(dāng)選委員會(huì)會(huì)長(zhǎng),他致力于推動(dòng)美中關(guān)系發(fā)展將近40年。對(duì)于他而言,關(guān)注兩會(huì)是件很重要的事情。 他說(shuō):“兩會(huì)間中國(guó)政府所談?wù)摰囊磺惺虑槎紝?huì)對(duì)中國(guó)將來(lái)的發(fā)展和將來(lái)的美中關(guān)系發(fā)展起到至關(guān)重要的作用?!?/font> “對(duì)于代表們的采訪和新聞發(fā)布會(huì)將會(huì)很有趣,”他說(shuō),“中國(guó)政府比過(guò)去現(xiàn)在更加開(kāi)放了,更加敢于面對(duì)公眾了,更加有媒體意識(shí)了。” 歐倫斯所領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的委員會(huì)與人大也有一些項(xiàng)目的合作,這包括每年他帶著四位民主黨和共和黨的國(guó)會(huì)議員來(lái)中國(guó)的一些城市并與人大代表們見(jiàn)面。 他說(shuō):“所以對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō),這么關(guān)注兩會(huì)是十分自然和正常的?!?/font> “中國(guó)的下一個(gè)改革計(jì)劃,也就是十二五計(jì)劃,從三中全會(huì)到現(xiàn)在我們看到的兩會(huì)都在討論這個(gè)問(wèn)題。所以說(shuō)兩會(huì)是十二五計(jì)劃的一個(gè)繼續(xù),中國(guó)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人至始至終都堅(jiān)持著他們嘗試想要執(zhí)行的事情?!彼赋?。 在兩會(huì)所討論的主要議題包括經(jīng)濟(jì)改革、城鄉(xiāng)發(fā)展等等。在這些議題中,就像許多其他人一樣,奧林斯最關(guān)注對(duì)于環(huán)境保護(hù)問(wèn)題的討論。 他表示,關(guān)于習(xí)近平主席與廣東和上海代表團(tuán)討論可吸入顆粒物排放的報(bào)導(dǎo)顯示了這個(gè)國(guó)家領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人對(duì)于環(huán)境問(wèn)題的關(guān)心。 歐倫斯說(shuō):“中國(guó)政府希望通過(guò)一些法律的制定來(lái)更好地控制污染?!?/font> “這是一個(gè)十分重大的任務(wù),但是在兩會(huì)中我們可以看到中國(guó)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人語(yǔ)氣堅(jiān)定,步調(diào)一致。” 今年的兩會(huì)指出,環(huán)境保護(hù)的重點(diǎn)政策就是政府要通過(guò)提升產(chǎn)業(yè)結(jié)構(gòu)轉(zhuǎn)型,提高能源利用效率,減少車(chē)輛尾氣排放,防護(hù)和監(jiān)視風(fēng)塵等措施來(lái)向污染宣戰(zhàn)。首先要做的就是降低PM10和PM2.5的排放并實(shí)施一項(xiàng)清潔水的行動(dòng)計(jì)劃。 歐倫斯說(shuō):“我認(rèn)為關(guān)注環(huán)境問(wèn)題是正確的,但中國(guó)的問(wèn)題關(guān)鍵是如何去實(shí)行和實(shí)施。這是一個(gè)很難應(yīng)對(duì)的問(wèn)題,因?yàn)檫@涉及到經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)的速度。”奧林斯同時(shí)指出,中國(guó)的經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)應(yīng)該重“質(zhì)”而非“量”。 他說(shuō):“我認(rèn)為中國(guó)對(duì)于經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)速度的密切關(guān)注引發(fā)了一些環(huán)境問(wèn)題?!?/font> 歐倫斯指出,應(yīng)對(duì)環(huán)境問(wèn)題的關(guān)鍵就是中國(guó)政府是否愿意付出那種代價(jià),也就是嚴(yán)厲環(huán)境監(jiān)管可能造成的就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)減少,這樣的問(wèn)題在地方會(huì)尤其嚴(yán)重。 對(duì)于地方政府實(shí)施反腐敗法的問(wèn)題,奧林斯說(shuō):“這是一個(gè)考驗(yàn)?!?/font> (譯者:timduncan21編輯:齊磊) |