**中国9月份进口额出现两位数下滑**
中国说,9月份进口额出现两位数下滑,显示世界第二大经济体的增速进一步减缓。
中国海关总署星期二说,9月份进口额同比下降20%以上。这是连续第11个月出口下降。中国9月份出口额减少近4%,贸易顺差为603.4亿美元。
分析人士本来预计中国9月份进口额将减少15%左右。
这些数据凸显了北京政策制定者面临的挑战,目前他们正试图把中国经济从出口驱动转型为内需驱动。目前中国经济增速处于25年来的最低点。
中国经济减速导致世界市场的石油、铜和铁矿石价格下跌。最近的贸易数据显示,中国不大可能实现7%的经济增长目标。
Another Month of Losses for Chinese Imports
China says imports plunged by double digits in September, signaling further economic weakness in the world's second-largest economy.
The Customs Department said Tuesday that imports dropped just over 20 percent last month compared to the same period a year ago, marking the 11th consecutive month of losses. Exports fell nearly four percent last month, leaving China with a $60.34 billion global trade surplus for September.
Analysts had expected a decline in imports of about 15 percent.
The numbers underscore the challenges for policymakers in Beijing as they try to transform China's economy to one driven by domestic consumer-demand instead of exports. China's economy is growing at its slowest rate in 25 years.
The slowdown has caused a worldwide slide in prices of commodities such as oil, copper and iron ore. The latest trade figures also make it unlikely that China can meet its economic growth target of seven percent.
**美国和阿富汗军队对基地组织发动攻势**
美国军方说,他们与阿富汗政府军在阿富汗南部发动大规模空中和地面攻势,消灭了大量基地组织激进分子。
美军星期二发表声明说,根据几个月来收集的情报和策划,攻击行动10月7日星期三在坎大哈省的沙拉巴克地区开始,星期天结束。
声明说,有200多名美国和阿富汗军人参加了这次行动。美军进行了63次精确空袭行动, 阿富汗军队对基地组织的两个据点发动地面攻势,与基地组织交火。
美军声明援引驻阿富汗美军发言人肖夫纳将军的话说:“这是美军在阿富汗发动的最大规模联合攻势之一。” 他还说,攻击基地组织长期以来藏身的塔利班心脏地带,表明阿富汗安全部队的能力不断增长。
肖夫纳将军说,攻击的两个据点,一个是基地组织训练营地,面积不到三平方公里;另外一个地点将近80平方公里。他还说,联合行动缴获了大量数据和武器,包括防空炮和火箭筒等。缴获的数字媒体设备显示,基地恐怖组织有一个庞大的媒体网络。
US, Afghan Forces Raid al-Qaida Camp
The United States military says it has conducted a major air and ground operation with Afghan forces in southern Afghanistan together, killing "numerous" al-Qaida militants.
Based on months of intelligence gathering and planning, the operation was launched on October 7 in Shorabak district of Kandahar province and was concluded Sunday, a U.S. military statement said on Tuesday.
It says that more than 200 American and Afghan forces took part in the offensive that involved 63 U.S. precision airstrikes while Afghan forces engaged in several battles on the ground against al-Qaida networks at two related sites.
"This is one of the largest joint ground-assault operations we have ever conducted in Afghanistan," the statement quoted Brigadier General Wilson Shoffner, a U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan.
Shoffner said the al-Qaida sanctuary was struck in the center of the Taliban's historic heartland, demonstrating "the growing capability of the Afghan security forces."
"The first site, a well-established training camp, spanned approximately one square mile. The second site covered nearly 30 square miles [77 sq km]," Shoffner added.
The spokesman said the joint offensive seized a large amount of data and weapons, including anti-aircraft guns, rocket-propelled grenade systems with associated hardware and warheads. The digital media equipment collected from the site showed it was also a large media cell of the terrorist network.