VOA标准英语2013--African Union Leaders Talk Mali, Chinese Investment

 

African Union Leaders Talk Mali, Chinese Investment

Chinese Vice¹ Premier² Wang Yang told the African Union that Beijing's new leaders want greater cooperation on trade and closer consultation³ on international affairs with the growth of Africa's influence abroad.

Ethiopian Prime Minister and African Union Chairman Hailemariam Desalegn says China is a reliable partner for Africa.

"It is encouraging to note that some of our friends and partners have given priority to infrastructure⁴ development in Africa in terms of their strategy partnership⁵ with our continent," he said.  "In this regard I wish to take this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation⁶ to China for investing billions to assist us in our development endeavors."

Without mentioning China by name, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he is concerned some countries are not as transparent⁷ in Africa as the United States and that could undermine democracy.  But he admits U.S. investment here is falling behind.

Center for Strategic and International Studies Africa director Jennifer Cooke says budget cuts mean the Obama administration has to do more with less in Africa.

"There is an opportunity to say, 'Look, we are back and we are prepared to engage at a different level, in different ways than we did in the past but in a much more positive way," said Cooke.

That means leading with the private sector⁸.

"Those kinds of commercial investment relationships really are much more partnerships⁹ of equals, for the United States not to be looking at Africa as conflict, disease, and hunger, but also as a place where partnerships are possible," Cooke added.

On Mali, African leaders discussed a regional intervention¹⁰ force against al-Qaida affiliated¹¹ terrorists in the north as French troops there withdraw.  French President Francois Hollande.

"I consider that it is up to Africans themselves to ensure the security of Africa.  But France is ready to work with Africans to give African armies the means to respond to all aggressions," Hollande said.

With West African ECOWAS troops arriving to support Malian forces, Cooke says international assistance is critical.

"As the ECOWAS forces deploy¹² to those northern cities and try to hold the northern cities in Mali against Ansar Dine and AQIM, there is a need for more specialized¹³ training in counter-insurgency, in connecting with communities, intelligence gathering," Cooke said.

President Hollande says terrorism, trafficking and piracy¹⁴ in Africa are global issues that must be fought together. 

1 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。

2 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。

3 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

6 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

7 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

8 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

9 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

10 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

11 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

12 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

13 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

14 piracy   

n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害

参考例句：

• The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。
• They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。