VOA慢速英语2015 中国在拉丁美洲大量投资

AS IT IS 2015-02-26 China Investing Heavily in Latin America 中国在拉丁美洲大量投资

China is working to increase its influence in Latin America.

Leaders from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States were in Beijing last month for talks with Chinese officials. During the meeting, China promised to invest $250 billion in Latin America and the Caribbean over the next 10 years. The two sides set a goal of $500 billion in trade between China and the community’s members during that period.

The trade agreement came shortly after a Chinese company took the first step in plans to build a canal across Nicaragua. The 278-kilometer long canal will connect the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The project is expected to cost $50 billion.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega gave the Hong Kong-based company the right to build and operate the canal for 100 years. But he has faced opposition¹ from Nicaraguans who would be displaced by the project. Foreign critics question whether the new canal is being built to further China’s interests in the area. They note that the Panama Canal is being expanded to let bigger ships pass between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

China becomes a major trading partner

The U.S. Congressional Research Service recently released a report about South America, Central America and the Caribbean Sea. It said the area’s economies have experienced their lowest rate of growth since 2009. But conditions have begun to improve, partly because of trade between China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, also known as CELAC. China recently replaced the European Union as the second largest market for CELAC exports.

Between 2000 and 2013, trade between China and Latin America and the Caribbean jumped from about $12 billion to nearly $275 billion. This trade and investment is mainly in areas related to natural resources and energy, such as oil, copper² and soybeans.

The growing partnership³ between the two sides may also affect efforts to fight global warming, also known as climate change.

China and CELAC are responsible for about 36 percent of what are known as greenhouse gas emissions⁵. Studies have linked the production of such gases to rising temperatures on Earth’s surface.

Military cooperation

Argentine President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on a state visit to China earlier this month. The leaders signed a number of agreements, including one to build two new nuclear power plants.

Argentina is said to be China’s second largest trade partner in Latin America.

The two sides signed a joint⁶ military agreement. The deal is said to include weapons and vehicles for Argentina’s army, navy, and air force. China and Argentina may even exchange military officers. China may also build military hospitals in Argentina.

The Argentine leader says the two nuclear plants would be built in Argentina with technology from China. She calls the move, a "gateway⁷ for the deepening of this strategic relationship."

The Chinese President agrees. In his words, "both sides are committed to strengthening our cooperation in various fields, especially our cooperation on basic infrastructure⁸ development and in promoting the sound and stable development of bilateral⁹ trade."

China’s partnership deal with Argentina includes plans to build the biggest space research center in South America.

A new bank for infrastructure development

China is also working with Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa on another project. The five countries, together known as BRICS, want to establish a New Development Bank with $50 billion to pay for infrastructure projects.

The new bank will first finance what officials are calling “sustainable development” in the BRICS countries. But eventually other developing countries will also be permitted to request financial help.

China’s growing relationship with Latin America may help improve how other countries view the Asian power. China’s partnership with CELAC may even have an effect on U.S. economic interests in the area.

Words in this Story

canal - n. a long narrow place that is filled with water and was created by people so that boats could pass through

emission⁴ – n., the act of producing or releasing something such as energy or gas

export – n., a product that is sent to another country to be sold there

influence – n., the power to change or affect someone or something; the power to cause changes without directly forcing them to happen

infrastructure – n., the basic equipment and structures (such as roads and bridges) that are needed for a country, area or organization

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

3 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。

4 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

5 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。

6 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

7 gateway   

n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法

参考例句：

• Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
• A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。

8 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。

9 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。