China to dismantle Railway Ministry

 　　BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- China plans to dismantle¹ the Ministry² of Railways into administrative³ and commercial arms to reduce bureaucracy and improve railway service efficiency, a top Chinese official said Sunday.

　　The existing Railways Ministry, which is both a policy-maker and a service provider, has long been criticized for bureaucracy and unpleasant services.

　　The proposed state railways administration, to be supervised by the Ministry of Transport, will fulfill⁴ the existing Railways Ministry's administrative functions, according to a report delivered by State Councilor Ma Kai to the annual session of the country's top legislature on Sunday.

　　The proposed China railway corporation will carry out the existing Railways Ministry's commercial functions, Ma said in the report on the institutional reform of the State Council, China's cabinet.

　　The state railways administration will be responsible for establishing railway technology standards and supervising railway work safety, transport service quality and railway project quality, Ma said.

　　The China railway corporation will be responsible for railway transportation dispatch and command, freight and passenger transport business management and railway construction, Ma said.

　　After the department restructuring, China's transportation capabilities⁵ will be greatly enhanced through the integration⁶ and overall planning of various transport means, including rail, road, shipping⁷ and aviation, Minister of Railways Sheng Guangzu told media on Sunday morning

　　Meanwhile, the railway, itself, can give full play to its advantages in traveling long distances, transporting heavy loads and offering low carbon emissions⁸, he said.

　　"After separating the administrative functions from the commercial functions, we can carry out more market research, better adapt to the market, provide preferable services to customers and have more room for development," he said.

　　Sheng said he did not have regrets about being the final railways minister.

　　"Whether I'm minister of railways or not does not matter," Sheng told media. "The key is to develop China's railways. I'm subordinate to the needs of the national cause."

　　Sheng did not disclose what his next position would be.

　　Some staff from the existing Railways Ministry were seen taking photos in front of the ministry's main building in downtown Beijing on Sunday morning, trying to keep the "super ministry's" past glory in mind.

　　Wang Yukai, a professor with the Chinese Academy of Governance, said the restructuring of the Railways Ministry will benefit the people.

　　After the commercialization of the country's railways, outside pressures are likely to push down railway operation costs, Wang said.

　　The participation⁹ of private capital will also increase the competitiveness of the railway sector¹⁰ and lower its operation costs, he said.

　　The restructuring worries Liu Qiang, 48, a rail maintenance worker in east China's Jiangxi Province.

　　"I tried hard to enter the railway system three decades ago, as it was considered a 'gold bowl' that would never break," said Liu, who works for the Nanchang Railway Bureau.

　　"What I'm most concerned about is whether I will be laid off or if my salary will be decreased, as I will become a corporate¹¹ employee," he said.

　　MINISTRY HIT BY DEBT, SCANDAL

　　While Chinese people enjoy the world's fastest train in operation, the robust¹² development of railway construction has also brought huge debts.

　　The ministry's debt-to-asset ratio climbed to 61.81 percent at the end of September 2012, according to official data. The ministry's total assets amounted to 4.3 trillion yuan (684.7 billion U.S. dollars), and its debts amounted to 2.66 trillion yuan at that time.

　　With a length of over 9,300 km by the end of last year, China has the world's largest high-speed rail network in operation. It plans to have 18,000 km of high-speed lines in operation by 2015.

　　To achieve this goal, China will invest 2.3 trillion yuan in railway infrastructure¹³ during the 2011-2015 period, according to the 12th five-year plan for railway development.

　　With regards to its huge debts, Sheng Guangzu said the dismantling¹⁴ of the Railways Ministry will not affect railway construction investment.

　　Sheng said the debts of the Railways Ministry will be divided according to whether they are public or commercial. The debts will be properly reviewed and handled by relevant departments.

　　As the railway has undertaken many public functions and its development is at an important stage, the government will continue to support railway construction, accelerate reforms in railway investment, financing and pricing, and establish a sound transport subsidy¹⁵ system, Ma Kai said Sunday.

　　Another challenge for the proposed state railways administration and China railway corporation is how to win back people's trust in the railway system, which has been hit hard by a series of corruption¹⁶ and safety scandals in the past few years.

　　The country's former railways minister, Liu Zhijun, was expelled from the Communist Party of China for corruption in May last year following a high-speed train collision that left 40 people dead and 172 injured near the eastern city of Wenzhou in 2011.

　　Liu had accepted massive bribes¹⁷ and bore the major responsibility for the rampant¹⁸ corruption in the railways system, according to the the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection¹⁹.

　　An official with the Nanchang Railway Bureau said on condition of anonymity²⁰ that the unreasonable²¹ concentration of power led to corruption.

　　He said he hopes separating the administrative functions from the commercial functions can curb²² corruption in the railway system.

1 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

4 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

5 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

6 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

7 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

8 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

9 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

10 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

11 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

12 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

13 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

14 dismantling   

（枪支）分解

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。
• The dismantling of a nuclear reprocessing plant caused a leak of radioactivity yesterday. 昨天拆除核后处理工厂引起了放射物泄漏。

15 subsidy   

n.补助金，津贴

参考例句：

• The university will receive a subsidy for research in artificial intelligence.那个大学将得到一笔人工智能研究的补助费。
• The living subsidy for senior expert's family is included in the remuneration.报酬已包含高级专家家人的生活补贴。

16 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

17 bribes   

n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

18 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

19 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

20 anonymity   

n.the condition of being anonymous

参考例句：

• Names of people in the book were changed to preserve anonymity. 为了姓名保密，书中的人用的都是化名。
• Our company promises to preserve the anonymity of all its clients. 我们公司承诺不公开客户的姓名。

21 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

22 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。