VOA标准英语2009年-Japan's New Foreign Minister Considers Wid

By Akiko Fujita
Tokyo
07 October 2009

 
Japan Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada (file photo)
Japan's new foreign minister has laid out his plan for his first 100 days in office, elaborating on discussions to build an East Asian Community and to alter the status of the U.S. military bases in the country.

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada has only been on the job for three weeks. But he wants to signal a break from the past at every opportunity he gets. On his first day in office, he ordered his agency to investigate a decades-old pact¹ that allowed U.S. ships to enter Japanese ports while armed with nuclear weapons.

Okada says Japan denied the pact existed for decades, in part because the same party ruled for half a century. He says acknowledging the pact would have meant calling somebody in your own political party a liar². And he goes to say he believes the denial hurt Japan's credibility - and he has always wanted to change that.

Reports on that investigation³ will not be completed until November, but Okada has plenty on his plate in the meantime.

Speaking to foreign journalists Wednesday, he laid out an ambitious 100-day plan to address the issue of the U.S. military bases in Okinawa and to review aid to Pakistan and Afghanistan. He also plans to address climate change.

On the issue of Okinawa's Futenma base, Okada disagrees with those who say the current U.S. and Japanese agreement should hold.

Under that plan 8,000 U.S. Marines will move from Okinawa to Guam while the U.S. builds a new facility to replace the Futenma air station. Futenma is in the crowded center of the island and is to be closed to reduce noise and congestion⁴ in the area.

Okada wants to review that plan before proceeding⁵ any further and say that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton understands that desire.

On the issue of Afghanistan, Okada indicated new plans to help stabilize⁶ the country could offer income guarantees and job training to lure⁷ people away from the Taliban.

As for climate change, Mr. Okada said Japan would work closely with the U.S. to help developing countries such as China reduce their greenhouse gas emissions⁸.

The foreign minister's ambitious plans also include talks with China to build an East Asian Community alliance, similar to the European Union.

Okada says he envisions an alliance that includes South Korea, Australia, Southeast Asia and India. He says the community would deepen economic ties among the countries and encourage cooperation in other areas such as energy, the environment, and public health.

But Mr. Okada stresses that such an alliance would not come at the expense of the U.S.-Japan alliance.

He says the two countries needed to remain strong partners. And that Japan should not have to pick between having good relations the U.S. and China.

1 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

2 liar   

n.说谎的人

参考例句：

• I know you for a thief and a liar!我算认识你了，一个又偷又骗的家伙！
• She was wrongly labelled a liar.她被错误地扣上说谎者的帽子。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

5 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

6 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

7 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

8 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。