VOA常速英语2020--促进西半球经济发展（在线收听）

Next, an editorial reflecting the views of the United States government. “Promoting economic growth in Latin America is especially important now, as the region continues to combat COVID-19 and look towards a road to recovery,” said U.S.Acting Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Ambassador Michael Kozak. The United States is the top trading partner for over two-thirds of the Western Hemisphere’s countries. As the region’s economies begin to reopen, the United States is doing its part to spur post-COVID economic growth through its Growth in the Americas or America Crece initiative. Countries of the region face a critical infrastructure gap, which limits economic growth. America Crece channels the resources and expertise of the U.S. government to attract private sector investment in energy, transportation, and telecommunications infrastructure across the region. To date, the United States has signed America Crece agreements with ten partner countries: Panama, Chile, Jamaica, Argentina, Colombia, and more recently, El Salvador, Ecuador, Brazil, Honduras, and Bolivia. These agreements include commitments by the partner countries to strengthen competitiveness and transparency in line with international best practices.

以下是一篇反映美国政府政策立场的社论。“促进拉美地区经济增长现在尤为重要，在拉美地区继续抗击新冠肺炎疫情并寻求复苏道路之际，”美国国务院负责西半球事物的代理助理国务卿迈克尔·科扎克大使表示。美国是西半球三分之二以上国家的最大贸易伙伴。西半球地区经济体正在重新开放，美国正尽其所能，通过“美洲增长”倡议计划来刺激新冠肺炎疫情后的经济增长。西半球地区各国面临的关键基础设施建设差距限制了经济增长。“美洲增长”倡议计划提供美国政府的资源和专业技能，吸引私营企业对当地的能源、交通和电信基础设施进行投资。迄今为止，美国已与10个伙伴国签署了“美洲增长”倡议合作协议，包括巴拿马、智利、牙买加、阿根廷、哥伦比亚、萨尔瓦多、厄瓜多尔、巴西、洪都拉斯和玻利维亚。协议内容包括伙伴国家承诺按照国际最佳惯例来加强竞争力和透明度。

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, or DFC, is America’s development bank and a critical tool in driving investment in support of America Crece. The United States expects the DFC to bring about at least $12 billion worth of investment in the region over the next five years. Another important player in revitalizing Western Hemisphere economies are international financial institutions, including the Inter-American Development Bank. Democracy is essential to building reliable infrastructure and a future of economic growth in the Americas. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of secure supply chains with trusted partners. That’s why “the United States is ramping up its efforts to strengthen and diversify U.S. supply chains and to rebuild hemispheric north-south supply chains. The goal is to move both sourcing and manufacturing closer to home.” The United States will continue to be the partner of choice in helping the Western Hemisphere overcome the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, growth, said Ambassador Kozak, remains the essential condition for cementing democratic institutions and completing the vision of a hemisphere of freedom. That was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States government.

美国国际开发金融公司(DFC)是美国的开发银行，也是推动投资支持“美洲增长”倡议计划的重要工具。美国预计美国国际开发金融公司在未来五年中给西半球地区带来至少120亿美元的投资。振兴西半球国家经济发展的另一个重要角色是国际金融机构，包括美洲开发银行。对于在美洲地区建立可靠的基础设施并实现经济增长的未来，民主至关重要。新冠肺炎疫情凸显了与可信赖的合作伙伴建立安全供应链的重要性。这也就是为什么“美国正在加大力度强化美国供应链并使之多样化，并在西半球从南到北重建供应链。我们的目标是把采购与制造都转移到距离本土更近的地方。”美国将继续成为西半球国家的首选伙伴，帮助他们克服新冠肺炎疫情的挑战。同时，科扎克大使表示，经济增长依然是西半球巩固民主体制和实现自由愿景的必要条件。这是一篇反映美国政府政策立场的社论。