《華盛頓郵報》記者：總理您好。一年以前，我的一個記者同事曾經向您問到一個關于在中國進行直選的問題，當時您表示這個進程應該是循序漸進的，首先中國老百姓應該證明他們有能力來管好一個村的事務，然后他們逐漸可以管好一個鄉、一個縣的事務。今年，在世界許多國家老百姓都將會通過直接選舉選出自己的領導人，人們不禁要問，什么時候在中國的老百姓才能夠通過這種競爭性、直接性的選舉選出他們的領導人呢？

溫家寶：是的。我曾經不僅一次地提出過，要堅定不移地實行村民自治，并且保護村民直選的合法權利。現在農村村委會許多實踐證明，農民通過直選村委會是成功的。他們不僅有高度的熱情，而且按照村民自治法制定了嚴格的選舉辦法。

我至今還是這樣認為，群眾能夠管好一個村，就能夠管好一個鄉的事情；能夠管好一個鄉，就能夠管好一個縣的事情。我們應該按照這條道路鼓勵群眾大膽實踐，并且在實踐中使他們受到鍛煉。我相信，中國的民主制度會依照中國的國情循序漸進地得到發展。這也是任何力量所阻擋不住的。謝謝。

《財經》雜志記者：我的提問是，今年的經濟增速調低為7.5%，這是暫時性的減速，還是會變成常態性？中國經濟是否已經告別了高增長的階段？國際社會上在某種程度將度過經濟危機的希望寄于中國經濟的高速增長，現在中國調低了增速會對國際經濟復蘇產生哪些影響？謝謝。

溫家寶：政府工作報告作了以后，世界上各種媒體反響最大的，就是關于中國經濟增長的速度。我以為他們抓住了一個要害問題。這次我們將多年來8%以上的中國經濟增速調低到7.5%，其主要目的就是要真正使經濟增長轉移到依靠科技進步和提高勞動者素質上來，真正實現高質量的增長，真正有利于經濟結構調整和發展方式的轉變，真正使中國經濟的發展擺脫過度依賴資源消耗和污染環境，走上一條節約資源能耗，保護生態環境的正確道路上來，真正使中國經濟的發展能最終惠及百姓的民生。

這個決心是在制定“十二五”規劃時就下了的。我們“十二五”規劃設定的目標是7%，今年確定經濟增長7.5%，是為了與“十二五”規劃的要求相銜接。同時，我也必須說明，這是我們主動調控的結果。

應該承認，由于歐債危機、外部市場萎縮，中國經濟有下行的壓力。但是在這種情況下，我們調低速度主要是為了結構調整。

我想說明的一點是，當我們宣布這個指標以后，許多國家的經濟界、專家學者、新聞媒體都認為，從本質上看這是一個利好消息。因為中國經濟能夠克服不平衡、不協調、不可持續的問題，真正走上一條注重質量的發展道路，從根本上有利于世界經濟的發展。

現在，對于我們來說，還是要把握好保持經濟平穩較快發展、結構調整、管好通脹預期三者的關系。中國的經濟總量已經達到47萬億元人民幣，在這個基礎上，增長7.5%并不算低。如果一直保持這個速度，在經濟總量不斷增長的情況下，更不算低。而且我們要想方設法使同樣的經濟總量能夠換取更大的經濟效益，能夠使百姓得到更多的實惠。我們一定能夠做到這一點，這是我們的目標。謝謝。

Washington Post: Thank you premier for coming here and answering our questions for one last time. One year ago here, you were asked by one of my colleagues about the possibility of elections in China, and you said it had to come gradually, step by step, that the Chinese had to first show that they can run a village and then a township. This year, people all over the world are electing their leaders in direct elections. That has had many people wondering and asking the question exactly when Chinese citizens will enjoy these same rights to elect their leaders in a competitive direct election.

Wen Jiabao: I have said on several occasions that we must adhere to the practice of self-governance by villagers in China, and the villagers' lawful right to directly elect the village committees must be protected. What has happened shows that this has been a successful practice. The Chinese villagers have shown strong enthusiasm in participating in this process and strict methods of election have been formulated on the basis of the Organic Law of the Villagers Committee.

I still believe that if the people are able to run the affairs of a village well, gradually they will be able to run the affairs of a township and then a county. We must continue to encourage the people to take bold steps to experiment and enhance their ability in this regard in the course of practice. I believe that democracy in China will continue to develop step by step in keeping with China's national conditions, and no force is able to hold this process back.

Finance Magazine: The GDP growth target for this year has been set at 7.5 percent. I would like to ask if it is just a temporary cut in the growth speed or a permanent one. Does it mean the end of China's high economic growth period? The international community has, to some extent, placed the hope of tiding over the economic crisis on China's strong economic growth. How will the downward adjustment of China's growth target affect global economic recovery?

Wen Jiabao: After I delivered the government work report, the highest attention from media organizations across the world has been paid to China's growth target. I believe they have focused their attention on a very important issue. For years, we have set the annual growth target of the Chinese economy at 8 percent, but this year, we have set the target at 7.5 percent. This is because we want to shift China's economic growth towards one that relies on advances in science and technology and higher educational level of the labor force. We hope that China's economy will achieve high-quality growth, and our economic development will serve the primary goals of making economic structural adjustment and shifting China's growth model. We hope that China's economic growth will no longer come at the cost of resources consumption and environmental pollution. We want to put China's economic growth on a path that is conducive to energy conservation and protection of the eco-environment. We hope that our economic development will bring greater benefits to the people.

We already made up our mind to do so during the formulation of the 12th Five-Year Plan. We have set the average annual GDP growth speed during the 12th Five-Year Plan period at 7 percent, and by setting this year's growth target at 7.5 percent, we want to make it fit the requirement set out in the 12th Five-Year Plan. At the same time, I should point out that the economic slowdown is the result of our proactive macroeconomic control.

Admittedly, China's economy is under downward pressure due to the European debt crisis and contraction of the external market. We have adjusted China's GDP growth target, mainly because we want to press ahead with economic structural adjustment.

With respect to the target of GDP growth this year, it is the consensus among economists, experts, scholars and media organizations from many countries around the world that this is, in the final analysis, good news for the world. Because if we in China can truly overcome the problem of lack of adequate balance, coordination and sustainability in our economic growth and get the Chinese economy on a path of quality development, this, in a fundamental way, is conducive to the development of the global economy.

We must continue to strike a balance among maintaining steady and robust economic development, making economic structural adjustments, and managing inflation expectations. China's economic aggregates now total around 47 trillion yuan ($7.5trillion). And with that base figure, a 7.5 percent growth target is not a low one. And this is even more so if we can sustain this speed as the size of the economy continues to expand. Moreover, we must work even harder to raise our growth efficiency so that more benefits will be extended to the people. We have confidence that we will be able to do that. This is our goal.