China recently took another step in presenting Li Keqiang, the country's presumptive next premier, as a global statesman, touting a meeting with Pakistani President and close ally Asif Ali Zardari and leaders of other central Asian countries, which China has courted in recent years for their geostrategic positioning as well as abundant energy resources.  

　　中国最近再度让李克强展现作为国际化官员的一面，大力宣传他与巴基斯坦总统、中国的亲密盟友扎尔达里(Asif Ali Zardari)和其他中亚国家领导人的一次会晤。李克强有望担任中国下一任总理。由于这几个国家的地缘战略地位和丰富的自然资源，中国近几年对它们大献殷勤。

　　The meetings in the far western city of Urumqi, capital of the restive Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, were part of the China-Eurasia Expo, a trade fair that received substantial coverage in the state-run press last week. Mr. Li's meetings in Xinjiang came a week after a high-profile visit to Hong Kong by the vice premier, an effort to thrust Mr. Li into the global spotlight, analysts said. The Chinese Internet lit up after Mr. Li, in an unusual move for a ranking Chinese leader, broke into English at the end of a speech he was delivering at The University of Hong Kong.

　　会晤在西部偏远城市、局势动荡的新疆维吾尔自治区首府乌鲁木齐举行，这是中国-亚欧博览会的一个环节。亚博会在上周被官方媒体大量报道。在新疆这次会晤一周之前，李克强还曾高调访问香港。分析人士说，访问香港的安排是为了把李克强推到国际舞台的聚光灯下。李克强在香港大学发表演讲，临近结束时突然说起了英语。这对于一位高级领导人来说是不常见的，并在中国互联网上引发热议。

　　Mr. Li's attendance at the Xinjiang expo and his meeting with Mr. Zardari could be a signal of Beijing's support for Mr. Li at a time when some voices in government -- particularly those in the finance industry -- have questioned his credentials. Mr. Li, who as premier would be a leading voice on China's economy, promoted bolstering trade ties with neighboring central Asian states while at the same time focusing on domestic development in largely impoverished regions like Xinjiang, a key theme of the current 12th Five-Year Plan.

　　李克强出席新疆亚博会并与扎尔达里会晤，可能暗示着北京方面对他的支持，目前政府内部有一些对他资历的质疑之声（特别是金融行业）。如果当上总理，李克强将成为中国经济的主要代言人。他曾推动与中亚邻国加强贸易关系，同时关注国内较贫穷地区的开发，比如新疆，而这正是当前第十二个五年规划的一个主题。

　　The trade fair appeared to be the first chance for the two leaders to meet since Mr. Li emerged as the frontrunner for the Chinese premiership based on state media reports of Mr. Li's official appearances in recent years. Pakistan is among China's closest allies, and strong military ties between the countries have long worried Washington.

　　从官方媒体对李克强近几年正式活动的报道来看，亚博会似乎是他成为中国下任总理首要人选以来，与扎尔达里的首次会晤机会。巴基斯坦是中国关系最亲密的盟友之一，两国间的密切军事关系长期让华盛顿担忧。

　　The trade fair in Urumqi, which kicked off on Thursday and concludes Monday, brings together two of the challenges facing China's future leaders: boosting ties with central Asian neighbors, whose reserves of natural gas and other resources are critical to fueling China's growing economy; and curbing domestic unrest among ethnic minorities in places like Xinjiang. Mr. Li said in a speech Thursday that Xinjiang would play a role in developing China's interior and western border regions, where development has lagged significantly behind China's increasingly wealthy east.

　　乌鲁木齐的亚博会于上周四开幕，本周一结束。中国未来领导人面临的两个挑战都在这里呈现。一个是怎样与中亚邻国加强关系，它们的天然气和其他资源储备对于推动中国经济的增长有着至关重要的作用。还有一个挑战是怎样在国内像新疆这样的地区遏制民族骚乱。李克强上周四发表讲话说，新疆对中国中部和西部边陲地区的开发将发挥作用。这些地区的发展程度已经远远落后于越来越富裕的东部地区。

　　Outgoing President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have struggled to quell ethnic unrest across western China in recent years. The government has promoted investment in places like Xinjiang, Tibet and Inner Mongolia, though observers say much of that economic development has benefited Han implants migrants to the region, exacerbating social and economic disparities between minority and Han ethnic groups. Mr. Li said Thursday that China must continue 'the theme of developing common prosperity,' according to the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily newspaper.

　　即将卸任的国家主席胡锦涛和国务院总理温家宝，近几年在平抑中国西部地区的民族骚乱方面遇到挑战。政府试图促进对新疆、西藏和内蒙古等地区的投资，但观察者说，经济发展在很大程度上是让迁移到这些地区的汉族人受惠，从而加大了少数民族与汉族之间的社会与经济差距。据中共机关报《人民日报》报道，李克强周四说，中国必须牢牢把握“共同繁荣发展”的主题。

　　Mr. Zardari said Thursday that Pakistan and China need to cooperate more closely to fight terrorism. Chinese police claimed earlier in the week they had thwarted several attacks planned during the trade fair by separatists in the region, who authorities say are training at overseas bases. Still, most analysts don't believe Uyghur separatists are linked to global terror networks such as al-Qaeda.

　　扎尔达里上周四说，巴基斯坦和中国需要在打击恐怖主义上面更加紧密地合作。中国警方上周早些时候声称，已经挫败地区分裂主义者计划在亚博会期间实施的多个袭击图谋。当局说，这些分裂主义者正在境外基地训练。但多数分析人士认为维族分裂主义者跟基地组织等全球恐怖网络无关。