Agreement by the G-8 to debt relief is a major event, but we should not be fooled by the seeming magnanimity of the gesture: much of the debt would not have been repaid in any case. More debt relief – encompassing more countries and more debt (including bilateral debt) – is needed.
八国首脑峰会在免除债务问题上达成协议是一个重大事件。但我们不应该被这一姿态表面上的重大意义迷惑：这些债务中的大部分本来就是无法偿还的。更大力度的债务免除-纳入更多的国家和更多的债务（包括双边债务）--是有必要的。但债务免除只应被看作是一个开端。正如英国自己指出的，发展中国家需要更多的援助和更公平的国际贸易体制。