VOA标准英语2010年-Asian Defense Chiefs Agree to Keep Dis

Asian defense¹ chiefs avoided a confrontation² over issues such as territorial³ disputes during a meeting in Hanoi. China tried to assure its neighbors that its military rise is not a threat, while the U.S. secretary of defense endorsed⁴ negotiations⁵ to resolve disputes.

The defense ministers at the first Association of Southeast Asian Nations security meeting to include China and the United States focused on common interests such as protecting freedom of the seas for commerce.

"The region is very, very strategic, supporting trade and communication," ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said at the close of the meeting. "So free and open and safe and secure navigation is important. It has been raised, which is agreed by all parties that those are the objectives that the region should try to achieve and should maintain."

The delegates agreed to keep talking on that issue and others, such as competing claims over tiny uninhabited islands in the South China Sea.

Reservations about China

There has been growing concern in the United States and many countries in Asia that China might use its economic power and expanding military to force its will upon smaller countries in the region.

Recently China had been accused of banning exports of critical minerals to Japan after the Japanese coast guard detained a Chinese fishing boat in disputed waters. China denies there was a ban.

Beijing also has disputes with Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia over the Spratly and Paracel islands, which are believed to hold vast reserves of oil and natural gas.

Neither the U.S. nor the Chinese defense chiefs addressed these issues in their comments this week in Hanoi.

Peaceful resolution

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates did say disagreements over territorial claims appear to be a growing challenge to regional stability and prosperity. He reiterated⁶ that the United States does not take sides on competing claims, but he said they should be settled peacefully, without force or coercion⁷ and in keeping with international law.

China's Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said his country's efforts to modernize⁸ its military are purely⁹ defensive¹⁰ and not intended to threaten other nations.

He made a point of saying the key to regional security is following the principle of sovereignty and non-interference in others' affairs. But he, too, embraced the concept of building multilateral frameworks to improve cooperation and focus on common interests.

The ASEAN secretary-general says this meeting was the first step in the process.

"And any problem we may have, any differences we may have, we will certainly adopt a peaceful process based on customary and international law," he said.

The 10 members of ASEAN plus eight other regional powers also agreed to develop closer military cooperation to respond to humanitarian¹¹ disasters, peacekeeping operations and anti-terrorism efforts.
 

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

3 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。

4 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

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 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

9 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

10 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

11 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。