2015年CRI ASEAN Summit Focuses on Establishment of ASEAN Community

 

During his opening remarks, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called on world leaders to combat Islamic terrorism following recent attacks around the globe.

"Our countries are in mourning, we all share in this grief. The perpetrators of these cowardly and barbaric acts do not represent any race, religion or creed¹, nor should we allow them to claim to do so. They are terrorists and should be confronted as such with the full force of the law."

In the wake of the deadly attacks, Malaysia deployed² special security measures across Kuala Lumpur as leaders from 18 countries gathered for a series of summits over the weekend.

On Sunday, leaders are also due to announce the formation of the ASEAN Community as a unified³ economic entity⁴ after a decade-long effort.

The Malaysian Prime Minister said the new community means a lot to the future of ASEAN as a whole.

"And let me suggest that after tomorrow we will refer to ourselves as the ASEAN Community, a proud new name to mark this significant evolution in our association. For this is ASEAN's time. This is our time."

The community building process started in 2003 when leaders of the 10 member states reached consensus⁵ to set up an ASEAN Community.

In 2007, the leaders made a strong commitment to facilitating the ASEAN Community by the end of 2015, aiming at closer integration⁶ through political security, economic and socio-cultural links.

Last year, the leaders agreed in Brunei to push ahead with the ASEAN Roadmap and ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint⁷, reaffirming their efforts to realize the ASEAN Community on time.

So far, over 90 percent of measures listed in the blueprint have been carried out. Najib Razak says the next step is to work out how to overcome barriers concerning political and cultural differences among ASEAN members.

"It is estimated that the measures we are implementing⁸ under the ASEAN Economic Community will raise overall GDP in ASEAN by 7 percent by 2025. That will be an enormous gain for our economies in the hundreds of billions."

The new community is also expected to provide greater potential for China and ASEAN cooperation in infrastructure⁹ construction and cross-border trade.

ASEAN was established nearly 50-years ago as a political grouping of ten Southeast Asian nations.

As one of the five founding members of ASEAN, Malaysia has taken over the rotating chairmanship to speed up economic integration, and make ASEAN more inclusive.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen 

1 creed   

n.信条；信念，纲领

参考例句：

• They offended against every article of his creed.他们触犯了他的每一条戒律。
• Our creed has always been that business is business.我们的信条一直是公私分明。

2 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

3 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

4 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

5 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

6 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

7 blueprint   

n.蓝图，设计图，计划；vt.制成蓝图，计划

参考例句：

• All the machine parts on a blueprint must answer each other.设计图上所有的机器部件都应互相配合。
• The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.文件内附有一张核装置的设计蓝图。

8 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

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。