新加坡《联合早报》记者：我的问题是，最近几年您多次在不同场合提到了政治体制改革，引起了很大的关注。请问您多次反复提到政治体制改革的原因在哪里？中国推进政治体制改革的难度又在什么地方？谢谢。

温家宝：是的，这些年我多次谈到政治体制改革，应该说已经比较全面和具体了。如果问我为什么关注这件事情，我出于责任感。粉碎“四人帮”以后，我们党虽然作出了若干历史问题的决议，实行了改革开放。但是“文革”的错误和封建的影响，并没有完全清除。

随着经济的发展，又产生了分配不公、诚信缺失、贪污腐败等问题。我深知解决这些问题，不仅要进行经济体制改革，而且要进行政治体制改革，特别是党和国家领导制度的改革。

现在改革到了攻坚阶段，没有政治体制改革的成功，经济体制改革不可能进行到底，已经取得的成果还有可能得而复失，社会上新产生的问题，也不能从根本上得到解决，文化大革命这样的历史悲剧还有可能重新发生。每个有责任的党员和领导干部都应该有紧迫感。

当然，我深知改革的难度，主要是任何一项改革必须有人民的觉醒、人民的支持、人民的积极性和创造精神。在中国这样有13亿人口的大国，又必须从国情出发，循序渐进地建立社会主义民主政治。这不是一件轻而易举的事情，但是改革只能前进，不能停滞，更不能倒退，停滞和倒退都没有出路。

我知道，人们不仅看我说什么、我的理想和信念，更看我通过自己的努力能够实现什么样的目标。我可以对大家讲，为了中国的改革开放事业，只要还有一口气，我就奋斗一天。

Lianhe Zaobao: In recent years, you have addressed political structural reform on several occasions, and that has attracted wide attention. Why have you done so and what is the difficulty that confronts China's political structural reform?

Wen Jiabao: I have talked about political structural reform in China on many occasions in these years. And I have set out my views on this topic in full and in detail. Why have I taken such a keen interest in this matter? It is because I have been seized by a strong sense of responsibility. After the crackdown of the Gang of Four, our Party adopted resolutions on certain questions in the history of the Party since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and took the important decision of conducting reform and opening up in China. However, the vestige of the mistake of the "cultural revolution" and the impact of feudalism has yet to be fully eliminated.

And as our economy continues to develop, such new problems as income disparities, lack of credibility and corruption have occurred. I am fully aware that to resolve these problems we must press ahead with both economic structural reform and political structural reform, in particular reform in the leadership system of the Party and the state.

The reform in China has come to a critical stage. Without the success of political structural reform, it is impossible for us to fully institute economic structural reform. The gains we have made in reform and development may be lost, new problems that have cropped up in China's society cannot be fundamentally resolved and such historical tragedies as the "cultural revolution" may happen again. I believe all responsible Party members and government officials should have a sense of urgency.

I am fully aware of the difficulty of the reform. For any reform to succeed, it needs the consciousness, support, enthusiasm and creativity of the people. To conduct such reform in our big country with 1.3 billion people, we must always bear in mind China's national circumstances and develop our socialist democracy in a step-by-step manner. This is not an easy thing, but the reform can only go forward. The reform must not stand still, much less go backward, because that offers no way out.

I know that the people take an interest not only in what I have to say and what my ideals are, but also, and more importantly, in what results my efforts can bring. I want to tell you that as long as I have a single breath, I will dedicate myself to advancing China's reform and opening-up cause.