美国财长汉克•保尔森(Hank Paulson)昨日呼吁中国承担起自己的全球责任，减少对出口的依赖，增加对内需的依赖，同时继续保持增长。

保尔森在接受英国《金融时报》采访时表示：“目前，中国的增长非常重要——对于中国及全球其它国家和地区都是如此。全球经济成功关系到中国的利益，而中国的持续增长也关系到我们的利益。”

在保尔森发表此番言论之际，鉴于美欧经济放缓，越来越多的分析人士开始指望中国支撑全球经济增长。

保尔森表示：“太多的人都担错了心。他们担心，中国的增长会对全球其它地区造成损害。”

“中国的增长正在促进全球其它国家和地区的发展，我们希望看到中国保持增长，但要演变为更均衡的增长。”

保尔森将于下周率领美国高层代表团访问北京，参加一年两次的中美战略经济对话。他表示，目前的金融和经济形势，将“增强”人们对于中国经济责任的关注。

“中国越来越多地从全球其它国家和地区听到关于失衡及人民币汇率的坦率之言，”保尔森表示。“全球各地越来越多地意识到中国加速人民币升值、以反映其经济基本面因素的重要性。”

然而，来自美国的信息将是相同的：中国需要加速结构改革（包括放开人民币汇率），保持经济增长，同时转向更多由内需驱动的发展模式。

保尔森表示：“改革将支撑经济增长。”中国的可持续发展意味着“以不同的方式增长并发展”。他表示，更灵活的汇率机制可能是“帮助中国发展的一个非常重要的工具”，同时也是让中国政府得以更有效地运用货币政策遏制通胀的一种手段。

保尔森对人民币升值速度加快表示欢迎——今年以来，人民币兑美元汇率上升了6%。他补充道：“我认为，这一趋势将持续下去。”

保尔森表示，放开金融服务业“对于中国的均衡增长也非常重要”。

Hank Paulson yesterday called on China to live up to its global responsibilities by maintaining growth while relying less on exports and more on domestic demand.

In an interview with the Financial Times, the US Treasury secretary said: “China's growth is very important right now – it is important to China and the rest of the world. China has an interest in the success of the global economy and we have an interest in their continued growth.”

Mr Paulson's comments come at a time when analysts are increasingly looking to China to support global growth as the US and European economies slow.

“Too many people have been worried about the wrong thing – worried that China's growth is somehow going to hurt the rest of the world,” Mr Paulson said.

“China's growth is helping the rest of the world and our interest is seeing that growth continue but to evolve into a more balanced growth.”

The US Treasury secretary, who will lead a high-profile US delegation to Beijing next week for the twice-annual Strategic Economic Dialogue, said the current financial and economic situation would “increase the focus” on China's economic responsibilities.

“China is hearing more from the rest of the world about imbalances and about their currency frankly,” he said. “There is an increased awareness around the world of the importance of China accelerating the appreciation of the renminbi to reflect economic fundamentals.”

But the message from the US would remain the same – that China needs to accelerate structural reforms, including currency liberalisation, to maintain growth while switching to a more domestic demand-driven model of development.

“Growth is underpinned by reform,” Mr Paulson said. Sustainable growth for China meant “growing differently and evolving”. He said a more flexible currency could be a “very important tool in helping them evolve” as well as a means of allowing Beijing to use monetary policy more effectively to combat inflation.

He welcomed the increase in the rate of appreciation of the renminbi – which is up 6 per cent against the dollar this year – and added: “I think we are going to see that continue.”

Mr Paulson said financial services liberalisation was also “very important to China's balanced growth”.