美国国家公共电台 NPR--Pelosi's Taiwan trip fuel tensions with China and raised security concerns regionally

Pelosi's Taiwan trip fuel tensions with China and raised security concerns regionally

Transcript¹

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Cambodia for a regional meeting of foreign ministers amid the fallout from U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is increasing tension in the region. Today, China launched several missiles during unprecedented² military drills around the island.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will have to manage the diplomatic fallout. He's in Cambodia for a regional gathering⁴ of Southeast Asian nations. His Chinese counterpart is also there.

FADEL: NPR's diplomatic correspondent Michele Kelemen is traveling with the secretary and joins us now from Phnom Penh. Good morning, Michele.

MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE⁵: Good morning.

FADEL: So is Blinken expected to meet with China's top diplomat³?

KELEMEN: So no plans for a one-on-one meeting, but, you know, there are likely to be some awkward or possibly very testy⁶ encounters there at the meeting. Secretary Blinken spent five hours with Foreign Minister Wang Yi last month in Bali, and we're told that he even discussed the possibility of a Pelosi trip then. Blinken has been arguing that the visit was not a sign that U.S. policy on Taiwan has changed. It wasn't the first visit by a speaker of the House. Newt Gingrich went to Taiwan, though that was some 25 years ago. Blinken's also argued that China's recent activities show that it's trying to change the status quo on Taiwan, not the U.S. He's likely to hammer home that message here in Cambodia and try to put the onus⁷ on China for the escalation⁸ in tensions right now.

FADEL: How is that argument being received in the region?

KELEMEN: You know, countries in the region are nervous. They want the U.S. and China to manage their relationship, to not let this get out of hand. They're clearly alarmed by the ongoing⁹ Chinese military exercises in response to Pelosi's visit. The ASEAN foreign ministers - this is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations - they put out a statement today saying they're worried about the potential for miscalculation and confrontation¹⁰ among major powers. They said there could be unpredictable consequences. And, you know, there's just a lot of other issues that they really want to focus on - things like trade, COVID, Myanmar, where military leaders just executed four political opponents. There's a lot going on. And you add to that the food and energy crisis...

FADEL: Right.

KELEMEN: ...That's exacerbated¹¹ by Russia's war in Ukraine.

FADEL: Speaking of that, Russia's foreign minister is also there. Will Blinken meet him?

KELEMEN: Yeah, again, no plans to meet Sergey Lavrov, who, by the way, arrived in Cambodia from Myanmar. Lavrov was there, all smiles with that country's ruling junta¹², which wasn't invited to the ASEAN meeting - another source of tension there. But Blinken and Lavrov did speak by phone last week. Blinken's approach has been that if there's something specific to talk to the Russians about, he will. Last week, it was about the U.N.-brokered deal to get food shipments out of Ukraine and also the possibility of a prisoner swap¹³ that could see the U.S. releasing a major Russian arms dealer¹⁴ in exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner and ex-Marine Paul Whelan. That deal is still on the table. The U.S. is waiting for a serious response from the Russians. There are closing arguments in the Griner case today, so perhaps there could be a verdict as early as this week, and perhaps that could move things along.

FADEL: That's NPR diplomatic correspondent Michele Kelemen in Cambodia, traveling with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Thank you.

KELEMEN: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

3 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 testy   

adj.易怒的；暴躁的

参考例句：

• Ben's getting a little testy in his old age.上了年纪后本变得有点性急了。
• A doctor was called in to see a rather testy aristocrat.一个性格相当暴躁的贵族召来了一位医生为他检查。

7 onus   

n.负担；责任

参考例句：

• The onus is on government departments to show cause why information cannot bedisclosed.政府部门有责任说明不能把信息公开的理由。
• The onus of proof lies with you.你有责任提供证据。

8 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

9 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

10 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。

11 exacerbated   

v.使恶化，使加重( exacerbate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The symptoms may be exacerbated by certain drugs. 这些症状可能会因为某些药物而加重。
• The drugs they gave her only exacerbated the pain. 他们给她吃的药只是加重了她的痛楚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

13 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

14 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。