VOA慢速英语--美国与东盟10国举行首次海上军演

Southeast Asian Nations to Hold Naval¹ Exercises with US

The United States and a group of 10 Southeast Asian nations are preparing for their first military exercises.

Asian media reported last week on the exercises between the U.S. military and forces from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). They are expected to begin in the first week of September near Thailand. They come almost a year since ASEAN forces carried out naval exercises with China.

Alan Chong is an associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. Commenting on the upcoming exercises, he said “I think China will take it seriously to be aware that they haven’t quite cornered ASEAN as an ally.”

China and the United States are seeking greater influence in Southeast Asia. The area is home to 630 million people and has many fast-growing economies.

In Southeast Asia, governments have avoided choosing sides between China and the U.S. Yet many of those countries are developing stronger economic ties with China while looking to the U.S. government for security.

Several nations with claims to territory in the South China Sea are concerned about pressure from China, which claims almost all of the waterway.

Military cooperation

The ASEAN-U.S. military exercises are expected to mainly take place in the Gulf² of Thailand, from September second to the sixth. The BenarNews.org website reported that the U.S. Navy’s seventh fleet will lead the operation.

The Bangkok Post reported last week that at least eight ships and aircraft will travel to a naval base in the Thai province of Chonburi for the exercises. The training is expected to reach Vietnam’s southernmost province of Ca Mau.

Collin Koh is a security expert at Nanyang Technological³ University in Singapore. He said the exercises are likely to include “low-intensity” work, such as how military forces react to accidents and rescues.

China’s official news media said that the exercises with ASEAN last year involved search and rescue training, and dealing⁴ with unplanned contacts at sea.

Efforts to ease tensions

Experts told VOA last year that ASEAN’s training with China was mainly aimed at reducing safety risks in the South China Sea.

ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines contest parts of the sea with China, which claims about 90 percent of the waterway. The area, which covers 3.5 million square kilometers, is believed to be rich in mineral resources as well as fisheries.

In recent years, China has raised concerns by building and expanding small islands for its military. In 2017, Chinese officials began new efforts to negotiate a code of conduct with ASEAN to prevent conflict.

China has criticized the U.S. government for its involvement in the South China Sea dispute, saying it is a regional issue. The U.S. has no territorial⁵ claims, but has pressed for freedom of navigation in the area. The sea is an extremely important waterway for world trade.

ASEAN increases activities

The Philippines is stepping up exercises with the U.S. Navy, while Vietnam received a visit from a U.S. aircraft carrier in March. Collin Koh said that he believes ASEAN may hold exercises with countries other than China and the U.S.

However, some of China’s activities remain troubling to ASEAN members. Last week, U.S. national security advisor⁶ John Bolton accused China of, in his words, “coercion⁷” for sending an oil exploration ship into waters claimed by Malaysia and Vietnam.

The move concerned Vietnam, which confirmed it would take part in the exercises next month.

Trung Nguyen is with Ho Chi Minh University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Vietnam taking part in “the exercise is an indicator⁸ of Vietnam wanting to be closer with the U.S. given the context of the standoff in the South China Sea,” he said.

I’m Mario Ritter, Jr.

Words in This Story

aware – adj. to know that something exists

corner –v. to force into a place or position from which it is difficult to escape

contest – v. to compete for; to dispute

code of conduct – n. a set of rules on how to behave usually in order to avoid conflict

regional – adj. related to an area or part of a country or the world

coercion – n. to cause someone to do or accept something by threats or other actions against them

indicator – n. a sign that shows the condition something is in

standoff – n. a dispute or contest in which there is no winner

1 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

3 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

4 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

5 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

6 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

7 coercion   

n.强制，高压统治

参考例句：

• Neither trickery nor coercion is used to secure confessions.既不诱供也不逼供。
• He paid the money under coercion.他被迫付钱。

8 indicator   

n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。