VOA标准英语2014--US Monitors S. China Sea after Beijing Knocks Down Proposal

 

US Monitors S. China Sea after Beijing Knocks Down Proposal

STATE DEPARTMENT—

The United States says it will monitor contested waters of the South China Sea to see if there is any de-escalation of tensions - after China knocked down a U.S. proposal at the Southeast Asian forum¹ in Myanmar to freeze provocative² acts there.  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to Sydney to meet with Australian officials following the Myanmar meeting.

U.S. officials say they will monitor the "rocks, reefs, and shoals in the South China Sea" looking for signs of less confrontation³ in waters where China's coast guard has clashed with vessels⁴ from both Vietnam and the Philippines.  Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan also have competing claims, making the area -- one of the world's busiest shipping⁵ lanes - a potential flashpoint with major commercial consequences.

Kerry was hoping Southeast Asian foreign ministers meeting in Myanmar would agree to a halt to all provocative actions in the South China Sea.  But China helped set back that move, leading ASEAN to agree to a softer, non-binding agreement.

Questioned about that weaker deal, Kerry said he thinks "the language does go far enough" to achieve some progress.

"We weren't seeking to pass something per se, we were trying to put something on the table that people could embrace,' he said. "A number of countries have decided⁶ that's what they're going to do.  It's a voluntary process."

But it stops far short of more directly calling-out Beijing for violating international law, according to American Enterprise Institute analyst⁷ Michael Auslin.

"If you just continue to say, 'We don't want coercive behavior,' China will say, 'Well we're not coercive. They're coercive.' You've got to use something different," he said.

Without which, Auslin says, China will continue to redefine the concepts of administrative⁸ control over disputed territory.

"What it is attempting to do is say: 'No, there is no dispute. There's no dispute over the Senkakus. There's no dispute over the Spratleys. There's no dispute over much of the South China Sea. There's no dispute over the air of the East China Sea with the Defense⁹ Identification Zone because we, China, are effectively administering it,'" he said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi offered ASEAN "friendly consultation¹⁰", but firmly upheld Beijing's right to defend its sovereignty and interests against what he called "irrational¹¹ provocation¹²."

With China's state-run news agency questioning Washington's "real intentions" U.S. State Department Deputy Spokeswoman Marie Harf says it is not Washington that is destabilizing the South China Sea.

"It’s the aggressive actions the Chinese have taken that are doing so," she said.  "Everything we are doing is designed to lower tensions, to get people to resolve their differences diplomatically and not through coercive or destabilizing measures, like we’ve seen the Chinese take increasingly over the past several months."

The summit's host, Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Muang Lwin, says, "It is not that one party is trying to influence others" against one country.  It is "all ASEAN, not ASEAN versus¹³ China" that will settle these disputes peacefully.

1 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

2 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

3 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

4 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 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。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

8 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

9 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

10 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

11 irrational   

adj.无理性的，失去理性的

参考例句：

• After taking the drug she became completely irrational.她在吸毒后变得完全失去了理性。
• There are also signs of irrational exuberance among some investors.在某些投资者中是存在非理性繁荣的征象的。

12 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。

13 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。