第十四届“大爱无国界”国际义卖活动开幕******
中新网北京1月18日电 “大爱无国界——温暖成长路”国际义卖活动开幕式17日在北京以线上方式举行。中国外交部部长秦刚，特邀嘉宾、中共中央政治局委员、国务委员王毅夫人钱韦女士，120多家外国驻华使馆、国际组织驻华机构和部分爱心企业代表等出席。
秦刚代表外交部向长期以来始终支持、参与和关心“大爱无国界”活动的中外朋友，特别是各国驻华使节表示衷心的感谢，并向王毅国务委员、钱韦女士为活动所做大量工作表达由衷的敬意。
秦刚说，外交帮扶工作见证了一个个大爱项目落地生根、开花结果；见证了“大爱无国界”活动坚守初心，助力脱贫攻坚的圆满收官，乡村振兴接力起航；见证了无数个孩童心中的梦想实现，无数个家庭有了新的希望。“大爱无国界”活动的创办，不仅是为了凝聚爱心，共创未来，更是为了传递和发扬和衷共济、团结互助的“大爱精神”。
秦刚表示，中共二十大明确了新时代新征程中国共产党的中心任务，我们将以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴。中国式现代化是全体人民共同富裕的现代化。对于中国共产党，“人民”二字重千钧。我们坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，在发展中保障和改善民生，奋力把人民对美好生活的向往变为现实。脱贫只是第一步，更好日子在后头。我们将引导、支持有意愿、有能力的企业、社会组织和个人积极参与公益慈善事业。外交部将坚持把“大爱无国界”国际义卖活动办下去，越办越好。
钱韦女士在致辞中表示，“大爱无国界”国际义卖活动一步一个脚印走过13个年头，用心用情换来无数温暖人心时刻，为中国脱贫攻坚和乡村振兴事业做出积极贡献。本届义卖活动将主题确定为“温暖成长路”，聚焦帮扶乡村儿童，计划将善款用于为云南省金平县、麻栗坡县近百所中小学校新建和改造热浴设施，让两县近2万名孩子沐浴温暖、健康成长。正是来自中外各方爱心人士的一次次付出和奉献，变为润物无声的温暖，改变无数个家庭的命运，点亮无数个孩子的希望，书写中国人民与各国人民以心相交、守望相助的动人篇章。
阿联酋驻华大使扎希里代表外国驻华使团发表视频致辞，表示在中国共产党领导下，中国脱贫攻坚取得巨大成功，并努力实现共同富裕。阿中两国都秉持构建人类命运共同体理念，希望各国都能成为全球发展的积极贡献者，携手为全人类打造充满希望、繁荣、可持续的未来。
嘉宾们共同见证“云义卖”活动正式启动。此次义卖筹集货品近400种、5.8万件，在淘宝平台设立“数乡宝藏旗舰店”专题网页，持续至2月8日，并将举行直播带货。(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.
