Obama Reaffirms Asia-Pacific Foreign Policy Shift

 　　U.S. President Barack Obama has reaffirmed Washington’s “unbreakable alliance” with Australia during a speech to parliament in Canberra Thursday.  Mr. Obama said the United States’s diplomatic focus would now shift from the war on terrorism to economic and security challenges in the Asia-Pacific region.  He is the fourth U.S. president to address lawmakers in the Australian capital.  From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

　　Mr. Obama was warmly received by Australian lawmakers.  He said the bilateral¹ security alliance was “unbreakable” and that the bonds between the United States and Australia “run deep”.

　　“From the trenches² of the First World War to the mountains of Afghanistan, Aussies and Americans have stood together.  We have fought together; we have given lives together in every single major conflict of the past 100 years, every single one.  The solidarity³ has sustained us through a difficult decade.  We will never forget the attacks of 9/11 that took the lives not only of Americans but people from many nations including Australia,” he said.

　　Mr. Obama’s address to the Parliament in Canberra came a day after announcing that the U.S. would deploy⁴ military aircraft and up to 2,500 Marines to northern Australia, a move seen by regional analysts⁵ as sending an unmistakable message to China.

　　Beijing has responded frostily, stressing that the deployment⁶ “may not be quite appropriate."

　　President Obama welcomed the rise of China as an economic and military power but said he wanted more engagement between U.S .and Chinese forces “to avoid misunderstandings.”

　　He has, though, promised to expand U.S. influence in the Asia-Pacific region and “project power and deter⁷ threats to peace” in that part of the world.

　　“As the world’s fastest-growing region - and home to more than half the global economy  -the Asia-Pacific is critical to achieving my highest priority and that is creating jobs and opportunity for the American people.  With most of the world’s nuclear powers and some half of humanity Asia will largely define whether the century ahead will be marked by conflict or cooperation,” Mr. Obama said.

　　President Obama also said human rights violations⁸ continue in Burma and called on nations to build support for the fundamental rights all citizens.

　　He noted⁹ that while Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is currently free from house arrest and some political prisoners have been released, the United States would continue to speak out against abuses.

　　Washington is shifting its diplomatic focus from the Middle East and the war on terrorism to the security challenges and economic opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region.  The president said that as the U.S. ends its military involvement in Iraq and winds down operations in Afghanistan there would be some reductions in defense¹⁰ spending but that he is committed to maintaining America's influence in the Asia-Pacific region

　　Following his address to the Australian parliament in Canberra, the president flies to the northern city of Darwin before attending the 18-nation East Asia summit on the Indonesian island of Bali.

1 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

2 trenches   

深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕

参考例句：

• life in the trenches 第一次世界大战期间的战壕生活
• The troops stormed the enemy's trenches and fanned out across the fields. 部队猛攻敌人的战壕，并在田野上呈扇形散开。

3 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

4 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

5 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

6 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

7 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

8 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。