每日一篇英語閱讀
閱讀是需要長(zhǎng)期的訓(xùn)練才能有比較好的提高，所以下面小編給大家準(zhǔn)備了每日一篇的閱讀文章，歡迎大家閱讀欣賞!
【Grandpa Wen bows out】
FOR HIS tenth and final time, China’s outgoing prime minister, Wen Jiabao, on March 5th rose to speak at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People at the opening of the annual plenary session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s parliament. As he did on the previous nine occasions, Mr Wen (pictured) delivered a full reading of his lengthy “government work report,” to nearly 3,000 delegates, outlining achievements of the year past and priorities for the future.
Among his key announcements were several important economic targets for this year. China, he said, would aim for economic growth of 7.5% while limiting inflation to “around” 3.5% and adding more than 9m urban jobs.
In a separate budget report, the government called for a 10.7% increase in defense spending to 720 billion yuan ($115.7 billion) in 2013. The rise comes at a time of persistent tension with Japan and other neighbours, but at a press conference a senior official repudiated the suggestion from one Japanese reporter that the move signalled an “aggressive” foreign policy.
"We strengthen our defence forces to safeguard ourselves, security and peace, instead of threatening other countries," said Fu Ying, who is China’s vice foreign minister and also the spokesperson for this year’s NPC session.
By the time this year’s session ends, on March 17th, the defence increase will almost certainly have been approved, together with the rest of the budget report, several other government reports (including Mr Wen's), and nominees for many top government posts. Though it calls itself a legislature and votes on motions, the NPC has never rejected anything put before it. Notwithstanding the important work the NPC does outside of the plenary sessions, the annual meeting remains heavily stage-managed and is far from shaking free of its well-deserved label as a rubber-stamp.
It is likewise nearly certain that Mr Wen will be replaced at the end of this session by Li Keqiang, currently deputy prime minister; and that outgoing president Hu Jintao will be replaced by Xi Jinping, who has already taken over as the top leader of the Communist Party and currently holds the state position of vice-president. These are the final touches on the contentious leadership transition that unfolded over the course of last year and culminated in November, at China’s 18th Communist Party Congress.
During his ten years as premier, Mr Wen's cultivated his image as an avuncular figure full of concern for the common people, earning for himself the nickname "Grandpa Wen." In his final work report, Mr Wen was frank and forthcoming about many of the serious problems the new leadership duo is about to inherit.
“We are keenly aware that we still face many difficulties and problems,” Mr Wen said, citing corruption, environmental degradation, inequality, unbalanced growth and social tension. His government's final budget included increased spending on health care, social security and environmental protection. Many in China will surely welcome this, even if they remain unimpressed with the shopworn prescriptions he proposed for China's systemic ills.
"We should unwaveringly combat corruption, strengthen political integrity... and ensure that officials are honest, government is clean and political affairs are handled with integrity," he said. That may be hard to argue with. But it will also be hard to implement.
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