东西问·速读丨上海美国商会会长郑艺：美企仍看重中国市场******
中新社北京1月19日电 (记者 彭大伟 李金磊)全球疫情、地缘竞争，再叠加仍未偃旗息鼓的中美贸易战，在此背景下，中国市场是否仍具吸引力？
“在过去，抨击中国通常是在政治竞选的时候，但现在抨击中国已经成为‘家常便饭’了，这对双边商业关系不利。但对于美国公司来说，它们继续将中国视为非常重要的战略市场。”上海美国商会会长郑艺近日在中新社“东西问·中外对话”栏目中说。
郑艺指出，美国政策制定者要求美国公司“重新靠岸”或“近岸”。“重新靠岸”就是将公司带回美国；“近岸”就是将公司转移到离美国更近一些的地方。讽刺的是，如今“全球化”一词(在华盛顿)已经不是个好词了。
资料图：美国客户参观“中国纺织品服装贸易展览会”。中新社记者 廖攀 摄“美国有种共识，就是中国应当被当作战略竞争者。因此所有的政策都将围绕着这一点来制定。在过去，抨击中国通常是在政治竞选的时候，但现在抨击中国已经成为‘家常便饭’了，这对双边商业关系不利。”郑艺说。
在他看来，商业互动交流对两国都有好处。但美国正在实施保护性很强的政策，所以需要一段时间，事情才会明朗起来。“中国公司必须弄清楚下一步该做什么，但我们倾向于继续与中国公司合作，发展中国市场，并且乐于看到中国公司在美国做得很好。”
郑艺认为，两国在经济上非常一体化，无论是在贸易还是在投资领域。保持这些强大的商业关系符合两国的最佳利益。希望这种商业关系成为两国向前发展的“护栏”。
在他看来，中国拥有世界级的基础设施和生态系统，制造能力非常有竞争力。因此，中国还有很长的路要走，在未来很多年里仍会是世界工厂。(完)
中新网评：美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾****** 中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后，美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕，众议院共和党领袖凯文·麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录，将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。
资料图：美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀摄 由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素，众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中，美国民主党议员继续抱团，多轮投票中，一票不投麦卡锡，共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。 麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折，除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外，与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。 一方面，共和党党内反对者认为，麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱，无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府，另一方面，因为共和党的多数优势微弱，党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大，有利于他们巩固自己的选票。 此外，党内反对者也认为，自己的选票没有换取更多利益，希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步，比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。 作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物，众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任，选举几乎没有悬念。然而，麦卡锡此次为当选，不得不做出多个关键让步，其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制，使得众议长的权力被削弱，难以掌控众议院。 美国有线电视新闻网CNN称，麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步，这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。 这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下，党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上，美国两党相互拆台，陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内，也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系，相互对抗，选票变成了谋利益的工具。 从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举，“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈，长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力，其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。 两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病，美国所谓的“民主”形象，让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举，变成了政客们利益置换的游戏，进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能，不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。
House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy (ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy". The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader. Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party. On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration. On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses. Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees. As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives. But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker. CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful. This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally. Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits. From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public. Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world. The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle.
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