US candidates discuss China...-英语点津_美文

US candidates discuss China...-英语点津

As the presidential campaign is heating up, it's becoming more like a political game and politicizing such issues seems to be a safe way of playing it, Shi said yesterday.

"Under such circumstances, their words don't necessarily mean what they were thinking or what they will do after winning the game, whether it is (Barack) Obama, (Hillary) Clinton or (John) Edwards or someone else because the context is more important than the issue itself," Shi said.

Making China an issue during the presidential campaign also means the country has developed rapidly in the past few years, whereas the US has been experiencing one of its hardest times in history, said Yuan Peng, director of the Institute of American Studies of China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

"With no end in sight to the Iraq war and its anti-terror strategy consuming its national resources and patience, the US is passing through its most difficult period," Yuan said.

"Its domestic problems have amplified the influences of China, a country that has had an excellent economic record in recent years," he said.

(China Daily 08/09/2007 page 2)

Questions:

1.Which American political party held a debate on Tuesday?

2.Name two things the presidential hopefuls described China.

3.According to Shi Yinhong, professor of international relations at Renmin University, what is the real reason why these presidential candidates describe China in these ways?