国台办：让台胞台企更有获得感和参与民族复兴的自豪感******
中新网1月11日电 国台办发言人马晓光11日表示，新的一年，我们将继续致力促进两岸经济交流合作、深化两岸融合发展，完善增进台湾同胞福祉的制度和政策，让台胞台企更有获得感和参与民族复兴的自豪感。
11日国台办举行例行新闻发布会，有记者问，请发言人介绍2022年两岸经济交流合作情况，有哪些主要特点？对2023年两岸经济交流与合作有何预期？
马晓光表示，2022年，我们克服新冠疫情和民进党当局阻挠限制等不利影响，突出“以通促融、以惠促融、以情促融”，扎实推进两岸经济交流合作。
马晓光指出，一是在两岸同胞共同努力下，两岸经贸往来克难前行，总体保持稳定。据海关总署统计，2022年1至11月，两岸贸易总额2943.9亿美元，与2021年同期基本持平。其中大陆对台出口753.2亿美元，同比增长6.6%；自台进口2190.7亿美元，同比减少2.9%。据商务部统计，2022年1至11月，大陆新批准台资项目(含经第三地转投资)5470个，实际利用台资金额19.2亿美元。两岸产业合作不断深化，产业链供应链基本稳固。
二是积极协助大陆台企克服疫情影响，保持生产经营总体稳定。各地不断优化涉台营商环境，落实落细台胞台企同等待遇，送政策、送服务上门，全力为台商台企办实事、做好事、解难事。出台扩大申请设立个体工商户相关政策，大幅降低台湾同胞特别是基层民众、青年群体到大陆创业门槛，获得台胞台青热烈响应。台企首度参与中国工业大奖评选，冠捷电子公司等8家(个)台资企业和项目分获第七届中国工业大奖、表彰奖、提名奖，大陆台企获得感、荣誉感显著增强。
三是支持台胞台企参与乡村振兴和农业高质量发展。进一步落实落细“农林22条措施”，支持福建漳平台创园成功创建国家现代农业产业园，支持福建三明创建海峡两岸乡村融合发展试验区，推进设立海峡两岸乡村振兴合作基地。目前在大陆农业及食品业领域投资的台企累计已超过1万家。
四是大力支持台商台企参与国家发展战略，台商投资结构更加优化。有关省市和两岸企业家峰会等创新方式，举办形式多样的涉台经贸活动，为台商台企参加国家区域重大战略、区域协调发展战略搭建平台，提供商机。积极支持福建探索海峡两岸融合发展新路，引导、支持台资企业向中西部地区有序转移、参与“一带一路”建设。支持台商台企利用进博会、各类展销会、电商平台等拓展内需市场。支持优质台企上市，深化两岸金融合作。2022年共有10家台企在大陆A股上市，在大陆上市台企现增至57家。
马晓光强调，新的一年，我们将继续致力促进两岸经济交流合作、深化两岸融合发展，完善增进台湾同胞福祉的制度和政策，让台胞台企更有获得感和参与民族复兴的自豪感。
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.
