（中国这十年·侨声）体育强国路 侨影相随行******
中新社北京10月14日电 (门睿)2022年2月4日，时值立春，在二十四节气的倒数中，全世界目光聚焦中国国家体育场“鸟巢”，迎接第24届冬奥会的开幕。全球华侨华人共赴这场“冰雪之约”，与祖(籍)国共享荣光。
从1932年首次有中国代表团正式参加奥运会，到2008年中国成功举办第29届夏季奥运会；从“新中国奥运会第一人”吴传玉，到世界上首座“双奥之城”北京，中国走向体育强国的路上，始终有华侨华人的身影相伴随行。
近代以来，谋求救亡图存的中国人始终希望通过发展体育事业强健民族形象。1932年，美国洛杉矶第10届奥运会开幕式上，包括中国留学生和美籍华人在内的6人中国代表团出席，代表团成员、短跑运动员刘长春成为中国第一位参加奥运会的选手。
新中国成立后，一批归侨积极投身新中国体育事业发展。印度尼西亚归侨、游泳运动员吴传玉为新中国赢得了第一个世界冠军；林丰玉、王文教、陈福寿等一批羽毛球运动员、教练员回国效力，为新中国羽毛球运动的兴盛发展奠定了坚实基础；新中国第一代击剑人陶金汉创造了中国击剑史上的数个“第一”。
中国华侨历史博物馆副馆长宁一告诉中新社记者，当时，这些归侨不仅在运动赛事中为国家赢得荣誉，还在培养训练、相关学术研究、国际交流、社会活动等方面推动中国体育事业发展。“运动风”也吹进侨乡，篮球、足球、排球、田径等运动在东南沿海侨乡培养起广泛的群众基础，形成人人参与运动的“侨乡体育”现象。
进入21世纪后，中国体育事业发展更加多元专业，2001年北京申奥成功促进中国体育事业走向新高峰，华侨华人也积极投身其中。由来自107个国家和地区的35万余港澳台侨同胞捐资共建的国家游泳中心“水立方”正是最好见证。
爱国侨领、新加坡金鹰集团主席陈江和是港澳台侨同胞中首个为奥运捐资的个人，累计捐资500万美元支持“水立方”建设。他表示，北京奥运会是全球华人共同参与的盛会，港澳台侨同胞合力捐资支持奥运场馆建设，表达的是对实现中华民族伟大复兴的热切盼望。
近年来，随着华侨华人日渐融入海外社会生活，中华传统体育项目也走向海外，获得认可。每到中国传统节日，舞龙舞狮运动走上各国街头，展现中华文明魅力；龙舟运动已在全世界60多个国家开展起来，相关赛会收获越来越多当地外国观众关注；包括男女长拳全能和男女太极拳全能4个小项的武术项目也被列为2026年达喀尔青奥会正式项目。
2022年北京冬奥会举办前夕，华侨冰雪博物馆在河北崇礼落成，馆内6000余件侨捐藏品讲述海外侨胞和归侨侨眷为中国体育事业尤其是冰雪运动做出的贡献，续写华侨华人与奥林匹克故事的新篇章。
归国兴教、捐资助学、捐建场馆、为国争光，从初入国际赛场到建设体育强国，中国体育事业的每一步发展，都得到华侨华人身体力行地参与和支持。2023年，第19届亚运会即将在浙江杭州举办，新西兰华人艺术家晨晓受邀为赛会创作了6幅系列壁画作品。他表示，作为土生土长的浙江人，很荣幸有机会作为建设者参与到这场在家乡举办的体育盛会中，将尽全力作出自己应有的贡献。(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.
