China not second strongest country: FM official

 　　BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) -- China is the second largest economy, but not the second strongest country, a Foreign Ministry¹ official said on Tuesday.

　　"China is still a growing country with imbalanced development," Assistant Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said at a forum² held by China Institute of International Studies in Beijing.

　　It' s unfair to accuse China of being a "selective stakeholder" who switches between the role of "elephant" or "ant" as it sees fit, rather than a "full stakeholder," said the official.

　　Le said that for all its remarkable³ progress, China still has many weak links. "It is not unwilling⁴ - but unable - to take on more international responsibilities and fully⁵ play the role of a major country."

　　"Just like in sports: Though China has a comfortable lead in table tennis, it is almost impossible for China to win a gold medal in football," he said.

　　Meanwhile, Le stressed that when it comes to safeguarding world peace, stability and development, China has always done its best and its track record is as good as any other country.

　　As to China' s conspicuous⁶ development over the past years, Le attributed it to the Chinese people' s hard and honest work.

　　"China' s development is attributable, first and foremost, to the hard work of the Chinese people, who are well-known for their diligence, dedication⁷ and willingness to work overtime," adding that Chinese will never forget the longstanding support and help from the international community.

　　Employees in China only have five to 15 days of paid vacation each year, which is less than half of the figure in European countries, said the official.

　　At the forum, Le also said that China' s top job is to secure well-being⁸ of its 1.35 billion people.

　　China' s sheer size and fast development has brought many expected and unexpected problems, he said.

　　"We have heard from the outside world both kind reminders⁹ and gloating comments or even harsh criticisms," said the assistant minister.

　　"We Chinese understand far better than anyone else what our problems are and how to prioritize," he said.

　　In Europe, a country of 14 million people is a big country, but China has a population 100 times as large, said the official.

　　Every year, China needs to create 25 million jobs, Le said.

　　"Managing such issues well so that the 1.35 billion people can lead a good life is the highest priority of the Chinese government," he said, adding that "Nothing is more important than this."

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

3 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

4 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 conspicuous   

adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的

参考例句：

• It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。
• Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

7 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

8 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

9 reminders   

n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 )；提醒…的东西；（告知该做某事的）通知单；提示信

参考例句：

• The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
• The strike has delayed the mailing of tax reminders. 罢工耽搁了催税单的投寄。