2006年VOA标准英语-China, US Pledge to Remedy Trade Imbalance

By Roger Wilkison
Beijing
15 December 2006
 
watch video report by Mil Arcega

The United States and China have agreed to try to redress¹ imbalances in their economic relationship, which saw China achieve a $200 billion trade surplus last year. Top-level officials met for the past two days in Beijing, and the two countries reaffirmed their common interest in maintaining a stable economic relationship. But, as Roger Wilkison reports for VOA, they did not commit to a timetable, or specific pledges as to how they would deal with the strains that bedevil it.

Henry Paulson left, is greeted by Chinese President Hu Jintao after closing of Strategic Economic Dialogue, 15 Dec. 2006

U.S. Treasury² Secretary Henry Paulson is under pressure in the United States to go home with tangible³ results from his Beijing talks.

Some members of Congress and American business executives claim that China's currency, the yuan, is deliberately⁴ undervalued, allowing Chinese exporters to undercut U.S. companies in the U.S. market.

China has allowed the yuan to revalue since last year, but only within tightly controlled bands. China says it needs to continue fueling growth through exports, to keep tens-of-millions of workers employed.

Paulson and his Chinese counterpart, Vice⁵ Premier⁶ Wu Yi, acknowledged Friday that the two sides do not always see eye-to-eye on that issue and others, but will strive over the long term to improve the relationship.

Paulson told reporters, he and Wu had a good, productive discussion, but that only time would tell what concrete results will emerge from the talks.

"On the major issues, which we were talking about, many of them have to do with economic reform in China and the speed of that process," he said. "Where there is a difference, okay, is on the speed of that reform. We have a common interest in the right outcome, and we're differing about the best way to get to that outcome."

Paulson was accompanied on his trip to Beijing by several top Cabinet officials and by Ben Bernanke, the head of America's central bank, the Federal Reserve.

Bernanke, in a speech earlier Friday, also argued that China should allow market forces to determine the value of the yuan.

The discussions were part of a so-called "strategic economic dialogue" aimed at resolving long-term problems between the world's biggest economy and the world's fastest-growing economy.

The officials will meet again next May in Washington.

1 redress   

n.赔偿，救济，矫正；v.纠正，匡正，革除

参考例句：

• He did all that he possibly could to redress the wrongs.他尽了一切努力革除弊端。
• Any man deserves redress if he has been injured unfairly.任何人若蒙受不公平的损害都应获得赔偿。

2 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

3 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

4 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

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。