VOA慢速英语2014 中国开放新丝绸之路

 

AS IT IS 2014-07-14 China Looks to Open New Silk Roads 中国开放新丝绸之路

In recent months, Chinese officials have been campaigning for the establishment of two new trade routes they call the Silk Roads.  One of the routes would be a land-based road.  The other would be for trade ships at sea.

Earlier this year, China held what it called a Silk Road Economic Belt Media Cooperation meeting in Beijing.  Chinese state media said the goal of the talks was to “rejuvenate the Silk Road by encouraging interregional development.”                                                                      

In ancient times, the Silk Road was a series of roads that linked the major economies of Asia to trading partners in Europe and the Mediterranean¹.

Alice Ekman follows China issues at the French Institute of International Relations.

“We have seen repetition or an insistence² on the concept of a maritime³ Silk Road and a Silk Road economic belt that may announce development of a specific strategy or at least an emphasis on constructing a new axis⁴ that may guide this regional policy.”

Chinese officials say the land-based Silk Road would go through Central Asia to northern Iran and through Iraq, Syria and Turkey, ending in Europe.  The other would go through the Malacca Strait to India, Kenya and then north around the Horn of Africa, through the Mediterranean Sea.  It would meet the land-based Silk Road in Venice, Italy.                                                                              

China’s ancient leaders worked hard to protect the trade routes.  Experts say China will also work hard to make the new routes successful.

Alice Ekman says China is increasingly using its power through what she calls hard moves, such as territorial⁵ disputes in the South China Sea.  She says it also has used soft moves, such as increased aid to Africa.

Steven Sabey works at the United Nations Development Program.  He says China’s international aid is increasingly helping⁶ other countries through job creation. 

“So I think what we’ve seen is a lot of governments gradually saying, you know ‘the things you’ve done have been really helpful, you know, setting up the agricultural training centers, or bringing out the doctors, building the, you know, building whatever it was, the government buildings, etc.’  But we now would like you to be doing things that have a more direct impact on grass roots, on poverty reduction at the grass roots.  And so that message is coming through. And now, now the question for (our) Chinese counterparts is not whether to do that, it’s how?”

China is also reaching free-trade agreements with other countries.  And it is calling for greater use of its money in some countries along trade routes.  The increase in ties between China and these countries will not only increase trade, but will help China’s energy security.                           

But some observers say just because some Chinese officials are working to re-create the Silk Roads does not mean China has an organized plan.  Barry Sautman is an associate professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.  

“It seems to me there are strategies rather than a strategy.  That is to say, in China there are a whole lot of people proposing strategies, and there is no one strategy adopted by the central government.”

He says some of China’s policies are based on competing ideas on how best to stay involved with the rest of the world.

1 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

2 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

3 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

4 axis   

n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线

参考例句：

• The earth's axis is the line between the North and South Poles.地轴是南北极之间的线。
• The axis of a circle is its diameter.圆的轴线是其直径。

5 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。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。