VOA标准英语2009-Thailand, China Sign Agreements to Boost Eco

Thailand is looking to China to boost its ailing¹ economy and to draw in Chinese investments, as other sources of foreign funds dwindle². The effort to build China's business profile in Thailand came during Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's official visit to China.
　
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva speaks during a press conference at a hotel in Beijing, China, 26 Jun 2009

Prime Minister Abhisit, leading a delegation³ of more than 100 officials and business people to China, announced business deals worth more than $1 billion. The agreements aim to increase Thai exports industries and to attract Chinese investors⁴.

Mr. Abhisit also held talks with Chinese Premier⁵ Wen Jiabao in Beijing during his four-day visit, which ends Saturday.

The agreements involve exports of Thai rice, rubber, tapioca, fruits and jewelry⁶. They are part of Thai Commerce Ministry⁷ efforts to expand business networks between the two countries, to counter the pain caused by the global economic slowdown.

Somphob Manarangsan, director of the Chinese Studies Center at Thailand's Chulalongkorn University, says both countries want to boost trade and investment.

"There are quite some prospects⁸ for the expansion of economic activity between Thailand and China," said Somphob. "Now the foreign trade of the two countries is just about $37 billion - the two way trade. So I think they try to expand the figure to achieve the $50 billion in the next few years."

Somphob says exports still account for over 60 percent of Thailand's total output. Thai trade with China fell 25 percent to just over $11 billion in the first five months of this year, but Somphob expects the rate of decline to improve in the coming months.

The Thai government recently set out a national investment plan worth more than $40 billion as part of efforts to revive the flagging economy.

The plan includes infrastructure⁹ projects, such as an expansion of the rail network. During his visit, Mr. Abhisit met with the chairman of the China Railway Engineering Corporation.

Somphob says many countries like Thailand hope to benefit as Chinese businesses seek investments abroad.

"From now on I think China will seem to boost outward foreign investment particularly in the field of direct investment," he said. "As you know that China has huge amounts of foreign reserves - so they need to go out to particularly to the developing economies."

Thailand also hopes to lure¹⁰ back Chinese tourists, many of whom postponed¹¹ visits over the past year because of the country's recent political uncertainties¹².

1 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

2 dwindle   

v.逐渐变小（或减少）

参考例句：

• The factory's workforce has dwindled from over 4,000 to a few hundred.工厂雇员总数已经从4,000多人减少到几百人。
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority.他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。

3 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

4 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

5 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

6 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

9 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

10 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

11 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

12 uncertainties   

无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物

参考例句：

• One of the uncertainties of military duty is that you never know when you might suddenly get posted away. 任军职不稳定的因素之一是你永远不知道什么时候会突然被派往它处。
• Uncertainties affecting peace and development are on the rise. 影响和平与发展的不确定因素在增加。 来自汉英非文学 - 十六大报告