VOA标准英语2009年-New ASEAN Free Trade Pact Viewed Positively

The recently signed free-trade pact¹ between the 10 members Association of South East Asian Nations with Australia and New Zealand is seen as a positive, as the region grapples with the global recession. Asia business executives also see the pact with Australia and New Zealand strengthening Southeast Asia's position in the face of China's growing regional economic influence.
　
ASEAN leaders join in a traditional handshake during opening ceremonies in Hua Hin, Thailand, of the 14th ASEAN Summit (File photo)

The trade pact signed at the recent summit of ASEAN leaders and officials from Australia and New Zealand added a rare optimistic light into the region's economic gloom.

Two years in the negotiation², after a decade of diplomatic maneuvering³, the ASEAN Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Pact is to be fully⁴ operational by 2020.

Pact offers greater access to regional market

By tying in Australia and New Zealand's economies, the pact adds more than than $640 billion to the region's $2 trillion output. For Australia and New Zealand, the agreement means greater access to a 10-nation market of 600 million people.

Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean was buoyant about the outlook for trade from the agreement.

"The principles are very simple. Market access will be improved and, by the conclusions of the agreements, some 96 percent of tariff⁵ lines will have been eliminated," Crean said.

Senior Australian Trade Commissioner⁶ Rod Morehouse calls the agreement "monumental", given its degree of comprehensiveness and complexity⁷.

"If ever there was time for people not to want to open up borders, probably it is during this global financial crisis we're going through at the moment," Morehouse said. "So, again, it's seriously positive."

Recession has impacted exports

The pact comes as regional export growth has plummeted⁸, because of the global recession.

In Thailand, where exports make up 65 percent of overall national output, overseas sales fell almost 30 percent in January, with steeper falls predicted in the near term. A similar outlook is also predicted for other ASEAN members, with economists⁹ forecasting a regional contraction¹⁰ in growth through 2009.

Across the region, jobs are being cut, hours reduced and wages reduced, as key export and manufacturing industries try to ride out the economic storm. The downturn has raised calls for protection, a move resisted by the ASEAN leaders.

John Presatio chairs the international department of the Indonesia Chamber¹¹ of Commerce and Industry. He says the echoes of economic nationalism are being heard.

"In facing the crisis, like or not, you are seeing some nationalistic sentiment on the rise," Presatio said. "But, at the same time, our technocrats¹² have been able to persuade, saying that 'Look the rhetoric¹³ for economic nationalism is up to you, but the long-term wealth creation requires that we do more international trade'."

Everyone benefits

Zain Yusuf, chair of the Malaysian Australian Business Council says the timing¹⁴ of the pact has been "crucial".

"The timing is very crucial, against the current bleak¹⁵ global financial and economic scenario¹⁶. People now have to look at what is for the good of the region. There's no point putting barriers which does not help free trade. In this way, everybody benefits," he said.

For Malaysia's Zain Yusuf, the opening of financial services will benefit both Malaysia and Australia, along with mining, telecommunications and construction.

One important outcome for ASEAN is that it will have greater access to Australian and New Zealand technology and development of institutions, as well as professional support and services.

Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Presatio says such access will be important in acting¹⁷ as a counterweight to strengthen the region in negotiating with China.

"We in Indonesia are kind of hoping that will be able to modernize¹⁸ our economy with the help of the more sophisticated new ally from Australia," Presatio explained. "The more we act to improve our economy, the better off when we are sitting at the negotiating table with our friends from northern Asia, in terms of getting a fair deal."

Malaysia's Zain Yusuf sees the situation as enhancing the region's equity¹⁹ and a more-expanded market.

"The idea is not so much to create a countervailing power but to create a bigger market, which would enable countries to be more equitable²⁰ in dealing²¹ with each other," Yusuf said. "The idea of this is for mutual²² benefit - mutual gain - not just for one country to benefit and the other country to lose out."

Australian Trade Commissioner Morehouse says other positive elements for ASEAN lie in access to Australian-based technology, together with resources and a secure source for food. For Australia, the agreement is a positive option to have greater access to the ASEAN market, if the Doha Round of International Trade talks continues to stall.

"It's almost like someone's turned on a green light in a period of time when everyone's working under a yellow card," Morehouse said.

In addition to a lowering of tariffs²³, senior representatives of the 10 ASEAN countries, together with Australia and New Zealand officials, will each year meet to negotiate issues of non-tariff barriers, also seen as obstacles to expanded trade.

1 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

2 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。

3 maneuvering   

v.移动，用策略( maneuver的现在分词 )；操纵

参考例句：

• This Manstein did, with some brilliant maneuvering under the worse winter conditions. 曼施坦因在最恶劣的严冬条件下，出色地施展了灵活机动的战术，终于完成了任务。 来自辞典例句
• In short, large goals required farsighted policies, not tactical maneuvering. 一句话，大的目标需要有高瞻远瞩的政策，玩弄策略是不行的。 来自辞典例句

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 tariff   

n.关税，税率；(旅馆、饭店等)价目表，收费表

参考例句：

• There is a very high tariff on jewelry.宝石类的关税率很高。
• The government is going to lower the tariff on importing cars.政府打算降低进口汽车的关税。

6 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

7 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

8 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

11 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

12 technocrats   

n.技术专家，专家政治论者( technocrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Few business barons remained. They were replaced by "technocrats," who became the heads of corporations. 企业巨头所剩无几，大多已被“技术专家”所代替，这些人成了公司的领导。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• However, bankers called the technocrats' bluff and proceeded to lend with gusto. 但是，银行家们称技术专家官员不过在虚张声势，并且还会乐观的继续借贷业务。 来自互联网

13 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

14 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

15 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

16 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

17 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。

18 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

19 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

20 equitable   

adj.公平的；公正的

参考例句：

• This is an equitable solution to the dispute. 这是对该项争议的公正解决。
• Paying a person what he has earned is equitable. 酬其应得,乃公平之事。

21 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

22 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。

23 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。