Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:
China faces multiple challenges amid 'rising
uncertainties'
KEN MORITSUGU
Thu, March 10, 2022, 4:29 PM
BEIJING (AP) — A top Chinese leader warned Friday of “rising
uncertainties” and pledged tax cuts to shore up growth as the potential
economic and geopolitical fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine loomed over
an annual meeting of China's ceremonial legislature.
Premier Li Keqiang described the situation in Ukraine as “grave” and said the pressing task is to prevent the crisis from escalating and getting out of control. China has stood apart from much of the world in refusing to condemn Russia’s military action, or even call it an invasion.
On China's economy, Li said that after an 8.1% expansion last year, achieving a growth target of 5.5% this year would not be easy.
“This year we are faced with new downside risks and challenges," he said at a news conference after the closing session of the National People's Congress. "There are a lot of complexities, changes, and rising uncertainties.”
The annual meeting of more than 3,000 deputies — cut from two weeks to one because of the pandemic — took place against the backdrop of a surge in new cases in many parts of the country.
The northeastern city of Changchun, home to 9 million people, was locked down Friday. To the south, China's largest city, Shanghai, ordered all schools to switch to online classes starting Saturday.
Li said that China would make COVID-19 control measures more targeted to ensure normal economic production and life but gave little sign of abandoning the “zero-tolerance” strategy that has limited travel to and from China and quarantined anyone arriving for two to three weeks.
"We will continue to gain experience, respond to possible changes in a timely manner and gradually work toward the free flow of goods and personnel,” he said.
While the Congress does little legislating beyond rubber-stamping some broad policies, it does serve as a sounding board for public concerns. Several proposals were put forth this year to increase penalties for human trafficking, following an outcry over reports of a mother found chained in a shed.
“Recently, there has been an incident of gross violations of women’s rights,” Li said, without mentioning the details. "We are not only distressed for the victims but also indignant about the incident.”
Li, whose primary responsibility is the economy, said the government would enact business tax and fee cuts and tax refunds totaling 2.5 trillion yuan ($400 billion), especially for small entrepreneurs. Many have been hit hard by the pandemic.
He also repeated calls for the U.S. to repeal tariffs put on Chinese imports under previous U.S. President Donald Trump. The two sides should communicate more following a video summit late last year between their presidents, Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, he said.
The U.S. accused China this week of aiding Russian disinformation efforts, including unsubstantiated claims that Ukraine was running biological weapons labs with U.S. support.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that China “urges the U.S. to disclose details on U.S.-financed biological labs in Ukraine." U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price called the allegations “outright lies.”
Li, who is considered the ruling Communist Party’s No. 2 official after Xi, said he would step down when his second five-year term ends next year. Xi, however, is expected to break with recent tradition and remain in power for a third term.
Translation
北京（美聯社）- 中國最高領導人周五警告“不確定性上升”，並承諾減稅以提振增長，因為俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭的潛在經濟和地緣政治影響, 在中國立法機關年度會議上隱約可見。
李克強總理形容烏克蘭局勢“嚴峻”，並表示當務之急是防止危機升級和失控。中國與世界大部分地區不同，拒絕譴責俄羅斯的軍事行動，甚至拒絕稱其為入侵。
談及中國經濟，李克強表示，繼去年增長8.1%後，今年要實現5.5%的增長目標並非易事。
他在全國人大閉幕後的新聞發布會上說: “今年我們面臨新的下行風險和挑戰”; “形勢很複雜多變，不確定性上升。”
在該國許多地區新病例激增的背景下，召開了有3,000 多名代表的年度會議 - 由於病毒大流行它已從兩週縮短至一周 。
擁有900萬人口的東北城市長春週五被封鎖。在南些的中國最大的城市上海,所有學校被下令從周六開始轉為在線上課。
李克強說，中國將提高 COVID-19 控制措施的針對性，以確保正常的經濟生產和生活，但幾乎沒有跡象表明要放棄限制往返中國的旅行, 或放棄限制將任何抵達的人隔離兩到三週的“零容忍”策略.
他說： “我們將繼續積累經驗，及時應對可能出現的變化，逐步實現貨物和人員的自由流動。”
人大會議, 除了對一些廣泛的政策進行橡皮圖章式通過之外幾, 它乎沒有處理立法，但它確實充當了公眾關注的發声板。今年有人提出了幾項建議，以增加對人口販運的懲罰，此前有報導稱一名母親被發現被鎖在棚子裡，引發了強烈抗議。
李沒有提及細節地說, “最近發生了一起嚴重侵犯婦女權利的事件”; “我們不僅為受害者感到難過，而且對這一事件感到憤慨” 。
主要負責經濟的李克強表示，政府將實施總計 2.5 萬億元人民幣（4000 億美元）的營業稅及費用減免和退稅，特別是針對小企業家。許多人受到病毒大流行的沉重打擊。
他還再次呼籲美國廢除前任美國總統特朗普對中國進口商品徵收的關稅。他說，在去年年底兩國的習近平和拜登總統舉行視頻峰會後，雙方應該進行更多溝通。
他說： “既然雙方已經相互打開了大門，那就不應該關上，也不應該脫鉤。”
美國本週指責中國幫助了俄羅斯的虛假信息工作，包括未經證實的聲稱烏克蘭在美國的支持下運營生物武器實驗室。
外交部發言人趙立堅說，中國“敦促美國披露美國資助的烏克蘭生物實驗室的細節” 。美國國務院發言人 Ned Price 稱這些指控是“徹頭徹尾的謊言”。
被認為是習近平執政共產黨的第二號官員的李克強表示，他將在明年第二個五年任期結束時卸任。然而，習近平有望打破新近的傳統，繼續其第三個任期。
So,
on China's economy, after an 8.1% expansion last year, China will try to achieve
a growth of 5.5% this year. Its seems that in China, economic development is more
important than its political relation with Russia.
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