2006年VOA标准英语-APEC Summit Seeks to Break Global Trade Impasse

By Luis Ramirez
Beijing
08 November 2006

Leaders of 21 economies making up the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group will meet in Hanoi, Vietnam, later this month to talk about liberalizing trade in the region. Organizers also hope to move along global trade negotiations¹, which are at an impasse² due to a dispute between rich and poor countries - largely over farm subsidies³. VOA correspondent Luis Ramirez, who will be covering the summit, reports the possible North Korean nuclear threat will also be high on the agenda.

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North Korea's first-ever test of nuclear device on October 9 has raised alarm on both sides of the Pacific Ocean - and worry about what economic disruptions could ensue if there were a show down on the North Korean nuclear issue.

Trade among APEC members accounts for about half of all global trade and almost 60 percent of the world's Gross Domestic Product.

Five of the nations at this year's APEC summit in Hanoi - China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United States - are also participants in the six-nation North Korean nuclear disarmament talks.

Kui-Wai Li, the director of the APEC Study Center at the City University of Hong Kong, says the summit will give these leaders a chance to confer but no definitive⁴ agreements on the matter are likely.

"It's most likely that the members will talk about the North Korean case and also bring the issue to other APEC members just to alert the other members [of] the importance of a nuclear…the threat of war," he said. "They'll use it more as a promotion⁵ rather than a decision-making platform."

Summit organizers say they will try to keep matters focused on economic issues - APEC's main concern.

However, APEC Executive Director Tran Trong Toan tells VOA the floor will open to discussion of any subject that is on the minds of APEC leaders.

"APEC is a premier⁶ forum⁷ for economic cooperation," he said. "Hence, the economic agenda is expected to be the prime focus of our leaders' discussions. [On] the other hand, as APEC leaders meet, they can also talk about issues of common concern, which have an impact on the APEC goals of economic development and community-building, such as human security."

Global trade liberalization is a top item. World Trade Organization negotiations are at a standstill over a dispute on farm subsidies that pits the United States and European Union against major developing nations. The poorer countries accuse the richer ones of being slow to do away with tariffs⁸ that they say are designed to protect farmers in wealthy countries.

Analysts⁹ see the meeting in Hanoi as an opportunity to help break the stalemate.

WTO spokesman, Keith Rockwell, says the Hanoi meeting will be another chance for leaders to put their heads together and keep the momentum¹⁰ going.

"It's a regional forum and many of the key players are from other regions," he said. "So, it's limited in terms of the coverage¹¹ of membership. Nonetheless, the players who will be in Vietnam are extremely important to our system. What can be done there is that there could be discussions through which participants in the negotiations can explore ways that might be the basis for compromise."

Alan Oxley is chairman of the Australian APEC Center at Monash University in Australia. He says APEC has a huge interest in the WTO's plan to lower global trade barriers and open up commerce between rich and poor nations.

"The APEC countries have always expressed concern about the slowdown of liberalization and in particular, in the WTO," he said. "I think we're also going to see the consolidation¹² of a trend to widen the focus of growth from improving free trade to the development of free markets.

Analysts say APEC nations recognize that freer trade must be accompanied by efforts to lift poor nations - and their millions of potential new customers - out of poverty.

So this year's summit will produce a so-called Hanoi Action Plan, in which the 21 members will restate their commitment to free and open trade and investment that benefit rich and developing countries.

APEC's 21 member economies are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, South Korea, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam.

The Hanoi meeting begins on November 12. Aside from talking about reducing global imbalances, delegates will discuss how to facilitate electronic business, tax reform, and setting up mechanisms¹³ to resolve trade disputes among APEC members. Promoting cultural exchanges and tourism are also on the agenda.

One other matter of security on the table will be how to combat terrorist financing, money laundering¹⁴, and other abuses of financial systems in the region. Some officials attending an APEC finance ministers' meeting in Hanoi in September called for a discussion on a commitment to not allow financial institutions to be used to funds the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The summit of leaders of the 21 economies will take place on November 18-19.

President George Bush is scheduled to meet one-on-one with several leaders attending, before paying visits to Singapore and Indonesia.

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

3 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 definitive   

adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• No one has come up with a definitive answer as to why this should be so.至于为什么该这样，还没有人给出明确的答复。

5 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

6 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

7 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

8 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

9 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。

10 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

11 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

12 consolidation   

n.合并,巩固

参考例句：

• The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• The state ensures the consolidation and growth of the state economy. 国家保障国营经济的巩固和发展。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法

13 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 laundering   

n.洗涤（衣等），洗烫（衣等）；洗（钱）v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的现在分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入）

参考例句：

• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》