奥巴马解除对越南的军事武器禁售

AS IT IS 2016-05-24 Obama Permits Military Weapons Sales to Vietnam 奥巴马解除对越南的军事武器禁售

President Barack Obama has lifted the 50-year-old limit on the sales of military weapons to Vietnam.

The announcement of the decision was made by Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang Monday at a joint¹ news conference with Obama in Hanoi, following a meeting between the two leaders.

Quang also said the two countries have agreed to strengthen their partnership². He said their militaries will cooperate, and there will be an increase in trade, health care and visits by citizens of each country. He called Obama’s decision an end to a “painful chapter.”

Obama said the weapons sales “will need to still meet strict requirements, including those on human rights, but this change ensures Vietnam has access to equipment it needs to defend itself.”

Obama noted³ that the United States and Vietnam have both fought and cooperated during the past century. He said the two countries have had diplomatic relations for the past 20 years, and the relationship has “reached a new moment.”

Obama told reporters that the decision was not made because of China’s increased aggression⁴ in the area. He said it was made because both countries want to complete a long process that many veterans of the Vietnam War began many years ago. He noted that one of the veterans was a former prisoner of war, Republican Senator John McCain.

Hua Chunying is a spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry⁵. She said, “as a close neighbor to Vietnam, we welcome (a) normal and cooperative relationship between Vietnam and other countries, and we certainly hope such development of bilateral⁶ relations is conducive⁷ to regional peace and security.”

She said, “the arms embargo⁸ is the product of the Cold War. It should not have existed. We hope for a normal relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam.”

But on Sunday, China’s official news agency said, “the calculating move will serve only Washington’s own strategic purposes as the United States seeks a re-balance in the Asia-Pacific.”

Obama noted that the U.S. and Vietnam still do not agree on many human rights issues. And he said each weapons sale will be reviewed before it can take place. But he said it is right to end the ban because of an increased level of trust and dialogue between the militaries of the two countries. He said more American ships may enter Vietnam’s ports “at the invitation” of the government.

Phil Robertson is the deputy director and Asia director of Human Rights Watch. The group strongly disagrees with Obama’s decision to end the weapons ban. Robertson said, “as Obama was lifting the U.S. arms embargo, the Vietnam authorities were busy arresting journalist Doan Trang and other human rights activists⁹ and bloggers on the street and in their houses. In one fell swoop¹⁰, President Obama has jettisoned¹² what remained of U.S. leverage¹³ to improve human rights in Vietnam and basically got nothing for it.”

Words in This Story

strict – adj. used to describe a command, rule, etc., that must be obeyed

access to – n. a way of being able to use or get something

conducive to – n. making it easy, possible or likely for something to happen or exist

calculating – adj. carefully thinking about and planning actions for selfish or improper¹⁴ reasons

in one fell swoop – adj. with a single, quick action or effort

jettison¹¹ – v. to get rid of (something)

leverage – n. influence or power used to achieve a desired result

1 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。

2 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。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 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。

7 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

8 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

9 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 swoop   

n.俯冲，攫取；v.抓取，突然袭击

参考例句：

• The plane made a swoop over the city.那架飞机突然向这座城市猛降下来。
• We decided to swoop down upon the enemy there.我们决定突袭驻在那里的敌人。

11 jettison   

n.投弃，投弃货物

参考例句：

• Sometimes you need to jettison unhealthy cargo.有时你必须抛弃不好的货物。
• We jettison an unworkable plan.我们放弃难实行的计划。

12 jettisoned   

v.抛弃，丢弃( jettison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was jettisoned as team coach after the defeat. 他因这次失败被撤销了运动队教练职务。
• They jettisoned big boxes to make the bus lighter. 他们抛弃公共汽车上的货物，使车减轻重量。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

14 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。