VOA慢速英語(yǔ)：美國(guó)調(diào)查其同東南亞國(guó)家的貿(mào)易失衡

US Investigates Trade Imbalances with Southeast Asian Countries

美國(guó)調(diào)查其同東南亞國(guó)家的貿(mào)易失衡

The United States Commerce Department has begun a 90-day study of trade imbalances between the U.S. and some Asian nations.

美國(guó)商務(wù)部已經(jīng)開始對(duì)美國(guó)同亞洲一些國(guó)家和地區(qū)之間的貿(mào)易失衡進(jìn)行為期90天的調(diào)查。

Experts say the review could produce a major change in Asia's trading relationship with the United States.

專家表示，這次審查可能會(huì)讓亞洲同美國(guó)的貿(mào)易關(guān)系發(fā)生重大變化。

The review follows President Donald Trump's call for action against "foreign importers that cheat."

這次審查是在川普總統(tǒng)針呼吁對(duì)“作弊的外國(guó)進(jìn)口商”采取行動(dòng)之后。

Among the Asian economies Trump criticized are China, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, India, Taiwan(China), Indonesia and Vietnam.

川普批評(píng)的亞洲經(jīng)濟(jì)體包括中國(guó)內(nèi)地、日本、泰國(guó)、韓國(guó)、馬來(lái)西亞、印度、中國(guó)臺(tái)灣地區(qū)、印尼以及越南。

Trump has said that he will make an "historic reversal" in U.S. trade policy after the review.

川普表示，他將在審查后對(duì)美國(guó)貿(mào)易政策做出“歷史性扭轉(zhuǎn)”。

Currency manipulation?

貨幣操縱

A possible U.S. trade policy change is making many government officials in Southeast Asia worried.

美國(guó)貿(mào)易政策可能發(fā)生改變使得東南亞很多政府官員擔(dān)憂。

After World War II, many developing economies in East and Southeast Asia exported their products to the United States.

二戰(zhàn)之后，東亞和東南亞的很多發(fā)展中經(jīng)濟(jì)體將它們的產(chǎn)品出口到了美國(guó)。

The relationship helped end poverty for millions of people.

這種關(guān)系幫助了數(shù)百萬(wàn)人消除貧困。

But during the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump charged that some trade policies, especially those of China, had harmed the American economy.

但是川普在2016年總統(tǒng)大選期間指出，一些貿(mào)易政策，尤其是中國(guó)的貿(mào)易政策損害了美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)。

He accused some countries of unfairly keeping the value of their currency low compared to the value of the U.S. dollar. This makes their exported products less costly than similar products made in the United States.

他指責(zé)一些國(guó)家不公平地維持其貨幣價(jià)值相對(duì)于美元價(jià)值的低位，從而使得他們的出口產(chǎn)品比美國(guó)制造的同等產(chǎn)品成本更低。

Krystal Tan is an economist at Capital Economics in Singapore. She said two countries that are most worried about being named currency manipulators are South Korea and Taiwan(China).

克里斯托·陳(Krystal Tan)是凱投宏觀(Capital Economics)駐新加坡經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家。她說(shuō)，最擔(dān)心被列為貨幣操縱者的兩個(gè)國(guó)家(地區(qū))是韓國(guó)和中國(guó)臺(tái)灣地區(qū)。

Countries that are officially identified as currency manipulators can face economic punishments such as fines or import taxes.

被正式定義為貨幣操作者的國(guó)家(地區(qū))可能會(huì)面臨罰款或進(jìn)口稅等經(jīng)濟(jì)懲罰。

Tan says if countries want to avoid economic restrictions, they will need to open their markets to more American products.

陳女士表示，如果各國(guó)想避免經(jīng)濟(jì)限制，它們就必須向更多美國(guó)產(chǎn)品開放市場(chǎng)。

Taiwan, China

中國(guó)臺(tái)灣地區(qū)

Officials in Taiwan(China) say the trading relationship with the U.S. is not a hostile one. They note that more than 80 percent of the exports Taiwan(China) sends are not completed products. Instead, they are put together in the United States.

中國(guó)臺(tái)灣地區(qū)官員表示，該地區(qū)與美國(guó)的貿(mào)易關(guān)系不是敵對(duì)的。他們指出，該地區(qū)80%以上的出口都不是成品。相反，它們都在美國(guó)組裝完成。

David Hsu is the deputy director general of the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) in Taiwan(China). He told reporters that the trading relationship with the U.S. is "mutually beneficial."

中國(guó)臺(tái)灣地區(qū)對(duì)外貿(mào)易局副局長(zhǎng)徐大衛(wèi)對(duì)記者表示，該地區(qū)同美國(guó)的貿(mào)易關(guān)系是互惠互利的。

Malaysia

馬來(lái)西亞

Government and business officials in Malaysia are also worried about the U.S. trade review. In late 2016, an increase in exports increased economic growth in Malaysia to 4.5 percent.

馬來(lái)西亞政府和商界官員也擔(dān)心美國(guó)的貿(mào)易審查。2016年末，出口增長(zhǎng)讓馬來(lái)西亞經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)提高到了4.5%。

Ong Ka Chuan is the Malaysian minister of international trade and industry. Ong told reporters that Malaysia was not responsible for the large U.S. trade deficit.

馬來(lái)西亞國(guó)際貿(mào)易和工業(yè)部部長(zhǎng)黃家泉(Ong Ka Chuan)對(duì)記者表示，馬來(lái)西亞對(duì)美國(guó)的大量貿(mào)易赤字沒(méi)有責(zé)任。

Ong said, Malaysia was dealing with the U.S. fairly.

黃部長(zhǎng)表示，馬來(lái)西亞同美國(guó)公平貿(mào)易。

Ong added that any restrictions that may result from a review could harm American manufacturers in Malaysia, such as Intel and Western Digital.

黃部長(zhǎng)補(bǔ)充說(shuō)，審查可能導(dǎo)致的任何(經(jīng)濟(jì))限制都可能會(huì)影響到馬來(lái)西亞的美國(guó)制造商，像英特爾和西部數(shù)據(jù)公司。

"If Trump were to punish us...the American firms will be (the) ones (that are) dealt a severe blow," he said.

他說(shuō)，“如果川普要懲罰我們，這些美國(guó)公司將會(huì)受到沉重打擊。”

Thailand and Vietnam

泰國(guó)和越南

The U.S. is Thailand's third-largest trading partner after China and Japan.

美國(guó)是泰國(guó)僅次于中國(guó)和日本的第三大貿(mào)易伙伴。

Trade between the U.S. and Thailand was $36.5 billion in 2016. More than $24 billion was from Thai exports. Among the top exports to the U.S. were machinery, electrical appliances, electronics and parts, rubber products and gems and jewelry.

2016年，美國(guó)和泰國(guó)之間的貿(mào)易額達(dá)365億美元，其中超過(guò)240億美元來(lái)自于泰國(guó)出口。泰國(guó)向美國(guó)的主要出口產(chǎn)品包括機(jī)械、電器、電子產(chǎn)品和零件、橡膠制品、珠寶首飾。

Vietnam also has a trade surplus with the U.S. – in other words, it sells far more goods to the U.S. than it buys.

越南也同美國(guó)存在貿(mào)易順差。換句話說(shuō)，越南向美國(guó)出口的商品超過(guò)了進(jìn)口的商品。

Last week, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc criticized Trump's decision. He said it would have a "huge impact" on Vietnam's economy, which depends on exports.

上周，越南總理阮春福批評(píng)了川普的決定。他說(shuō)，這會(huì)對(duì)依賴出口的越南經(jīng)濟(jì)造成很大影響。

Trans Pacific Partnership

跨太平洋伙伴關(guān)系協(xié)定

President Trump has already changed U.S. trade policy. Soon after he took office in January, Trump withdrew from the Trans Pacific Partnership – or, TPP – agreement.

川普總統(tǒng)已經(jīng)改變了美國(guó)貿(mào)易政策。川普在一月份上任后不久就退出了跨太平洋伙伴關(guān)系協(xié)定。

The agreement was an important part of former U.S. president Barack Obama's "pivot to Asia" policy. It was designed to limit China's growing political and economic influence in the area.

該協(xié)定是美國(guó)前總統(tǒng)奧巴馬“重返亞太”政策的重要組成部分。它旨在限制中國(guó)在該地區(qū)日益增長(zhǎng)的政治和經(jīng)濟(jì)影響力。。

Carl Thayer, a political scientist at the University of New South Wales, explains one of the effects of Trump withdrawing from the TPP. He says North Vietnam now wants to increase trade with China under the Chinese Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

新南威爾士大學(xué)政治學(xué)家卡爾·泰勒(Carl Thayer)解釋了川普退出跨太平洋伙伴關(guān)系協(xié)定的影響之一。他說(shuō)，北部的越南現(xiàn)在希望在中國(guó)區(qū)域經(jīng)濟(jì)合作伙伴關(guān)系下提升與中國(guó)的貿(mào)易。

"Vietnam had its heart and soul on the TPP," Thayer said. "They have a massive surplus with the U.S. It almost equals their massive deficit with China. But there's not very much they can do. They're being pragmatic and looking at the RCEP."

泰勒表示：“越南對(duì)跨太平洋伙伴關(guān)系協(xié)定投注了全部心血。該國(guó)同美國(guó)存在巨額貿(mào)易順差，幾乎等同于它們同中國(guó)的巨額貿(mào)易逆差。但是他們幾乎無(wú)能為力。他們開始務(wù)實(shí)地轉(zhuǎn)向了中國(guó)區(qū)域經(jīng)濟(jì)合作伙伴關(guān)系。”

Thayer said Vietnam hoped for a strong American presence in Asia to balance China's influence, especially in the South China Sea. Now, he said, Vietnam will have to balance its relationships more equally among the U.S. and India, Russia, Japan and China.

泰勒表示，越南希望美國(guó)在亞洲有著強(qiáng)大的存在，以平衡中國(guó)的影響力，特別是在中國(guó)南海。他說(shuō)，現(xiàn)在越南將不得不讓他們同美國(guó)、印度、俄羅斯、日本以及中國(guó)的關(guān)系更加平衡。

And, Thayer added, without strong U.S. action in the region, Vietnam will have to work harder to balance Chinese influence.

泰勒還表示，沒(méi)有美國(guó)在該地區(qū)的強(qiáng)硬行動(dòng)，越南將不得不更加努力地平衡中國(guó)的影響力。

He says relations between the U.S. and Vietnam, which have been built up over the past 20 years, may be hurt because of a possible change in trade policy.

他說(shuō)過(guò)去20多年建立好的美越關(guān)系可能會(huì)因?yàn)橘Q(mào)易政策的變化而受到損害。

I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.

凱利·吉恩·凱利報(bào)道。