2007年VOA标准英语-Japan Signs Trade Agreement with Indonesia

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Jakarta
20 August 2007

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has signed a key trade deal with Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhyono in Jakarta at the start of his three-nation tour of Asia. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins in Jakarta has more.

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (l) and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono shake hands after the signing ceremony of a bilateral free trade agreement, 20 Aug 2007

The agreement, called the Economy Partnership² Agreement, has been under negotiation³ since 2005. It aims to gradually make more than 90 percent of the trade between the two countries tax-free.

It will also give Japan much sought after access to Indonesia's natural gas resources and raw materials. Japan is the world's largest importer of Liquefied Natural Gas or LNG, and Indonesia is its leading supplier. But competition for this and other energy sources has intensified⁴ as China and India urgently seek fuel for their booming economies.

This agreement seeks to ensure a stable supply for Japan, and will promote further Japanese investment in Indonesia in return. It also cuts taxes and tariffs⁵ on agricultural goods such as bananas and pineapple, but not rice.

Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhyono says he welcomes the economic partnership with Japan.

He says he is confident the economic relationship with Japan will be widened with the signing of the agreement.

Japanese Prime Minister Abe says he hopes the trade agreement will improve relations between the long-standing allies.

The Japanese prime minister says the agreement will enable the two countries to further strengthen ties, not only in economics but also in other areas such as mutual⁶ security.

The new partnership agreement strengthens cooperation in the protection of intellectual property rights, and in easing government procurement⁷ and customs procedures. It is to take effect early next year.

The Indonesian and Japanese leaders say they will take part in a new arrangement to work against global warming, to be formulated⁸ after the current Kyoto Protocol⁹ expires in 2012, during a key U.N. meeting in December in Bali.

Mr. Abe will travel to India and Malaysia next in an effort to boost trade ties.

1 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。

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 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

4 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

7 procurement   

n.采购；获得

参考例句：

• He is in charge of the procurement of materials.他负责物资的采购。
• More and more,human food procurement came to have a dominant effect on their evolution.人类获取食物愈来愈显著地影响到人类的进化。

8 formulated   

v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示

参考例句：

• He claims that the writer never consciously formulated his own theoretical position. 他声称该作家从未有意识地阐明他自己的理论见解。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This idea can be formulated in two different ways. 这个意思可以有两种说法。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。