VOA标准英语2008年-China 'Clarifies' Agreement with Japan

By Stephanie Ho
Beijing
19 June 2008

China says Japanese companies participating in a joint¹ gas exploration deal in the East China Sea will be subject to Chinese law. China also says it has not given up its legal claims to disputed territory in the East China Sea. Stephanie Ho in Beijing has more on the story.

Less than 24 hours after a China-Japan deal was announced, China made great efforts to stress the accord is not considered a formal joint-development agreement.

Vice² Foreign Minister Wu Dawei told reporters in Beijing the difference in this case is that the two governments are not taking the lead in cooperation to develop the Chunxiao oil and gas field.

He says enterprises will play a major role and governments will only give some guidance.

Wu says Chinese-Japanese cooperation in the Chunxiao oil and gas field will follow Chinese law and that both sides recognize China's sovereignty over the field.

China and Japan have conflicting claims over a nearby island chain in the East China Sea. The Chinese call them the Diaoyu Islands, while the Japanese know them as the Senkaku.

Wu says, for the deal to have been reached, both sides have pretty much shelved, for now, differences of sovereignty and sovereign rights.

The agreement announced Wednesday allows Japanese companies to invest in and claim proportional profits from several projects from the Chunxiao gas field, which Japan calls Shirakaba.

Japanese officials say they expect long and difficult negotiations³ before joint exploration can start. The agreement did not set a specific timeline.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry's tough talk Thursday reflects some of the Chinese public's continuing antipathy⁴ toward Japan.
　

Small protest in front of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, 18 Jun 2008

A small group of protesters called for Tokyo to "clear out" of the East China Sea, in a brief demonstration⁵ Wednesday in front of the Japanese embassy in Beijing.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated development, a Japanese military destroyer is to make a visit Tuesday to southern China's Zhanjiang port.

The missile destroyer will be the first Japanese warship⁶ to make an appearance in a Chinese harbor since the end of World War II, when the two countries were bitter enemies.

　

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 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 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。

4 antipathy   

n.憎恶；反感，引起反感的人或事物

参考例句：

• I feel an antipathy against their behaviour.我对他们的行为很反感。
• Some people have an antipathy to cats.有的人讨厌猫。

5 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

6 warship   

n.军舰，战舰

参考例句：

• He is serving on a warship in the Pacific.他在太平洋海域的一艘军舰上服役。
• The warship was making towards the pier.军舰正驶向码头。