IN THE NEWS - APEC Meeting and North Korea

IN THE NEWS - October 26, 2002: APEC Meeting and North Korea

By Caty Weaver¹

This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program In The News.

Leaders from many nations are attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in the holiday area
of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

APEC was established in nineteen-eighty-nine as a trade group for the nations of
Asia and the Americas. It was formed in reaction to the growing dependency among
economies of countries that border the Pacific Ocean. Its goal was to support
economic growth among those countries and to create a sense of community. APEC
has twenty-one member economies. The combined population of APEC countries is
about two-and-one-half-thousand-million people. The countries are responsible for
almost half of all world trade.

APEC foreign and trade ministers started talks earlier this week. On Thursday, the foreign ministers approved a
joint² statement that promised to suppress the financing of terrorism. The statement also promised to strengthen
security for air travel and shipping³ of goods.

President Bush and leaders of other APEC countries are meeting this weekend. Reports say Mister Bush will be
trying to gain support for his campaigns against terrorism and its supporters and against Iraq. APEC leaders also
are expected to discuss the latest situation involving North Korea.

Earlier this month, the United States announced that North Korea had admitted it is secretly developing nuclear
weapons. The admission reportedly came during talks between a high level North Korean official and an
American special diplomat⁴. The diplomat reportedly had presented the official with American intelligence
evidence about the suspected weapons program.

A North Korean nuclear weapons program would violate an agreement between the two countries. In nineteen-
ninety-four, North Korea agreed to halt its suspected weapons program. In exchange, the United States said it
would provide North Korea with nuclear power reactors⁵ and supplies of heating fuel.

North Korea says it does not believe the United States has honored the agreement. Experts say North Korea
considered the agreement a promise by the United States to end hostile relations and establish normal relations.
And, experts say that the relationship between the two countries has worsened in the last two years.

North Korea says it wants new talks with the United States about the agreement. On Tuesday, North Korean
officials threatened to take strong action if the United States would not agree to negotiations⁶. However, North
Korea did not say what form such action would take.

The Bush administration has suggested that the issue can be settled through diplomatic action. But,
administration officials have not answered the call for talks. They say the United States will decide what steps to
take after APEC leaders discuss the issue.

This VOA Special English program In The News was written by Caty Weaver. This is Steve Ember.

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1 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

2 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。

3 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

4 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

5 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

6 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。