2006年VOA标准英语-North Korea Nuclear Issue Overshadows APEC Meet

By Luis Ramirez
Hanoi
16 November 2006

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the United States and its partners expect North Korea to return to nuclear disarmament talks only if it is ready to negotiate seriously. Secretary Rice and diplomats¹ from other nations met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum².

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The subject of North Korea's October 9 nuclear test continued to overshadow meetings aimed at trying to break a deadlock³ in stalled world trade negotiations⁴.

The United States and its partners in the six-party North Korea talks have been using the occasion of having five of the six nations in one place to plan the next round of negotiations - which North Korea has agreed to attend after a year-long boycott⁵.

However, the United States and others have been skeptical⁶ that the North is ready to negotiate. Several rounds of talks since 2003 have yielded no concrete result. Furthermore, North Korea last year agreed to take steps to give up its nuclear programs in exchange for aid and other benefits, only to carry out a nuclear test last month.

After one of the meetings here at APEC Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told VOA the United States and other participants in the talks want to be sure that North Korea is ready to deal this time. 

Acting7 Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan in Hanoi, Nov. 16, 2006" src="/upimg/allimg/070509/1107590.jpg" width="210" border="0" /> Condoleezza Rice, right, chats with South Korean Acting Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan in Hanoi, Nov. 16, 2006

"This has been a very useful conference," she said. "We did have a discussion of North Korea this morning. I think everyone is very much devoted⁸ to the full implementation⁹ of resolution 1718. Everyone is looking forward to the six-party talks but there is widespread agreement that they must this time have a concrete outcome."

The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1718 in October after North Korea's nuclear test.

U.S. diplomats are due to meet with officials from China, the host of the nuclear talks, on Friday to talk about setting a date for them - probably in December.

Other participants in the talks are Japan, Russia, and South Korea - whose leaders will all be at the APEC summit.

Despite the attention given to North Korea, APEC organizers have tried to keep the focus on trade. Calls continued on Thursday for all sides to show flexibility¹⁰ in re-starting world trade negotiations, which are key to moving ahead with a long-term plan for a free trade area across the Pacific Ocean.

Making a strong case for quicker action are business leaders, advising their governments at this meeting. Raymond Ch'ien is chairman of CDC Corporation, a software and Internet company that does business across the Pacific - and would like to do more.

"My business is headquartered in Hong Kong, but most of our software products are actually American products - Canadian and U.S. products," he explained. "So, with further development or liberalization of world trade, especially now, more and more, the WTO discussion, touches on trade and services. It would just make it easier for us to compete in markets like China, and markets in Vietnam."

Ch'ien says his access to the Chinese software market is severely¹¹ restricted by regulations that he says would be reduced if negotiations at the World Trade Organization succeed.

The talks have been held up in a dispute over agricultural subsidies¹² and tariffs¹³.

In their final statement Sunday, APEC members are expected to commit to making more trade concessions¹⁴ to break the impasse¹⁵.

Ministers wrapped up preparations for the summit, which will be held Saturday and Sunday as leaders of APEC's 21 economies are arriving in the Vietnamese capital. President Bush is due in Hanoi on Friday after a visit to Singapore.

1 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

3 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

6 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

9 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

10 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

11 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

12 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

14 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

15 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。