9-27-2005

中国未有效控制大规模杀伤性武器出口 (China Not Adequately Controlling WMD Exports)

美国非营利的研究机构兰德公司说，中国缺乏控制可能用于生产大规模杀伤性武器敏感技术出口的能力。兰德公司说，中国近几年加强了对与大规模杀伤性武器有关技术的监管，可是北京政府在执行控制方面仍然缺少资金和技术资源。

该机构说，中国在获得有关敏感技术出口信息方面基本依赖西方情报机构。兰德公司的分析人士说，这种局面表明，北京在防止外界得到强大武器技术方面缺乏政治意愿。

中国外交部星期二对这份报告提出反驳说，北京全面履行了不扩散义务。今年早些时候，美国国务院说，据信中国没有执行包括1970年核不扩散条约在内的相关核协议。

U.S. non-profit research group Rand Corporation says China lacks the ability to control exports of sensitive technology that could be used in weapons of mass destruction. Rand Corporation says China has increased regulations of WMD-related technology in recent years, but the Beijing government still lacks the financial and technological resources to enforce the controls.

The group says China now relies largely on tips from Western intelligence agencies about exports of sensitive technology. Rand analysts say the situation suggests Beijing lacks the political will to prevent outsiders from acquiring powerful weapons technology.

China's foreign ministry Tuesday disputed the report and said Beijing is fully committed to non-proliferation. Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department said China was not believed to be in compliance with nuclear agreements, including the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

中国人大首次举行公开听证会 (China's NPC Holds First Ever Open Hearing)

中国人大举行有史以来第一次公开听证会，讨论通过税收改革来缩小全国不断扩大的收入差距。人大代表和公众代表讨论了政府有关提高个人所得税起征点的建议。政府建议个人所得税起征点从每月800元人民币提高到每月1500元人民币。

北京官员警告说，如果不缩小日益扩大的贫富收入差距，就可能引发社会动乱。新华社在报导星期二公开听证会时说，这个每年举行一次会议的立法机构从5千名申请参加会议的人当中挑选了40人。新华社报导，其中20人随后被推举在有3千名人大代表出席的会议上发言。

China's National People's Congress has held its first-ever public hearing to consider closing the nation's widening income gap through tax reform. Legislators and members of the public weighed in on the government proposal to raise the threshold at which people must start paying tax from 800 yuan a month to 1,500 yuan.

Beijing officials have warned that failing to close the widening gap between rich and poor could spark social unrest. For Tuesday's public session, China's Xinhua news agency said the legislative body that meets once a year selected 40 people out of some five-thousand applicants to attend. The news agency said 20 were then chosen to participate as speakers in meetings of the three-thousand member congress.