CHUYN LUYN NGHE PHIN DCH THNG MI

Topic: ECONOMY
APEC Meeting Pushes for Continued Trade Negotiations

The meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders ended without

announcement of major policy changes among APEC members. However, the
leaders did say they were ready to make changes in their negotiating positions to
help restart world trade talks. They also said North Korea is a major concern, but
stopped short of strong condemnation.
This was the fourteenth official meeting of government leaders from economies
in East Asia and nations around the Pacific Ocean. The two-day meeting was
held in Vietnam, a nation recently admitted to the W.T.O. The meeting ended on
November nineteenth.
In a final statement, the leaders expressed a strong desire to continue the Doha
series of W.T.O. talks on trade reform. The leaders said they would propose
deeper cuts in government aid to farmers. Poor nations say such aid drives down
the price of agricultural goods.
The leaders stated they would cut import taxes on industrial goods. They offered
to open their markets to more trade in agriculture and services, like
banking. APEC urged other countries to join it in offering more trade
reforms. APEC agreements do not have the force of law.
President Bush pressed the other leaders on the issue of North Korea's nuclear
program. Six-nation talks on the program have not moved forward since last
year. The North Korean nuclear test last month has not helped the situation.
Mr. Bush urged APEC members to obey United Nations Security Council
Resolution Seventeen-Eighteen. That resolution calls for action against North
Korea, and urges it to return to the nuclear disarmament talks. All the nations
involved in those talks are APEC members, except for North Korea.
The president also proposed a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific as a long-term
goal for the group. Mr. Bush won a trade agreement with Central American and
Caribbean nations la`st year.
The APEC leaders' meeting was one of several meetings held in Hanoi. Earlier,
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice led the American team to the eighteenth
APEC Joint Ministerial Meeting. Ministers agreed to push forward with trade

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reforms known as the Bogor Goals to be completed in five to ten years. They also
agreed to cooperate in areas such as security and health.

Useful phrases of interpreting:

-

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders: din n hp tc kinh t cc

nc chu Thi Bnh Dng
help restart world trade talks: ti khi ng cc cuc ta m thng mi
th gii
strong condemnation: ln n mnh m
In a final statement: trong phin pht biu cui cng
... cuts in government aid ct gim ngun vit tr chnh ph
the force of law: s rng buc ca php lut
North Korean nuclear test: v th ht nhn ca Bc Triu Tin
cc cuc m phn gii tr ht nhn:cc cuc m phn gii tr ht nhn
a trade agreement: tha thun thng mi
led the American team : dn u on nc Ha K
trade reforms: Ci cch thng mi

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