VOA慢速英语：美国调查其同东南亚国家的贸易失衡

US Investigates Trade Imbalances with Southeast Asian Countries

美国调查其同东南亚国家的贸易失衡

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

美国商务部已经开始对美国同亚洲一些国家和地区之间的贸易失衡进行为期90天的调查。

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

专家表示，这次审查可能会让亚洲同美国的贸易关系发生重大变化。

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

这次审查是在川普总统针呼吁对“作弊的外国进口商”采取行动之后。

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

川普批评的亚洲经济体包括中国内地、日本、泰国、韩国、马来西亚、印度、中国台湾地区、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，他将在审查后对美国贸易政策做出“历史性扭转”。

Currency manipulation?

货币操纵

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

美国贸易政策可能发生改变使得东南亚很多政府官员担忧。

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

二战之后，东亚和东南亚的很多发展中经济体将它们的产品出口到了美国。

The relationship helped end poverty for millions of people.

这种关系帮助了数百万人消除贫困。

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年总统大选期间指出，一些贸易政策，尤其是中国的贸易政策损害了美国经济。

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.

他指责一些国家不公平地维持其货币价值相对于美元价值的低位，从而使得他们的出口产品比美国制造的同等产品成本更低。

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·陈(Krystal Tan)是凯投宏观(Capital Economics)驻新加坡经济学家。她说，最担心被列为货币操纵者的两个国家(地区)是韩国和中国台湾地区。

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

被正式定义为货币操作者的国家(地区)可能会面临罚款或进口税等经济惩罚。

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

陈女士表示，如果各国想避免经济限制，它们就必须向更多美国产品开放市场。

Taiwan, China

中国台湾地区

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.

中国台湾地区官员表示，该地区与美国的贸易关系不是敌对的。他们指出，该地区80%以上的出口都不是成品。相反，它们都在美国组装完成。

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."

中国台湾地区对外贸易局副局长徐大卫对记者表示，该地区同美国的贸易关系是互惠互利的。

Malaysia

马来西亚

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.

马来西亚政府和商界官员也担心美国的贸易审查。2016年末，出口增长让马来西亚经济增长提高到了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.

马来西亚国际贸易和工业部部长黄家泉(Ong Ka Chuan)对记者表示，马来西亚对美国的大量贸易赤字没有责任。

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

黄部长表示，马来西亚同美国公平贸易。

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

黄部长补充说，审查可能导致的任何(经济)限制都可能会影响到马来西亚的美国制造商，像英特尔和西部数据公司。

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

他说，“如果川普要惩罚我们，这些美国公司将会受到沉重打击。”

Thailand and Vietnam

泰国和越南

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

美国是泰国仅次于中国和日本的第三大贸易伙伴。

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，美国和泰国之间的贸易额达365亿美元，其中超过240亿美元来自于泰国出口。泰国向美国的主要出口产品包括机械、电器、电子产品和零件、橡胶制品、珠宝首饰。

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.

越南也同美国存在贸易顺差。换句话说，越南向美国出口的商品超过了进口的商品。

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，越南总理阮春福批评了川普的决定。他说，这会对依赖出口的越南经济造成很大影响。

Trans Pacific Partnership

跨太平洋伙伴关系协定

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.

川普总统已经改变了美国贸易政策。川普在一月份上任后不久就退出了跨太平洋伙伴关系协定。

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.

该协定是美国前总统奥巴马“重返亚太”政策的重要组成部分。它旨在限制中国在该地区日益增长的政治和经济影响力。。

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).

新南威尔士大学政治学家卡尔·泰勒(Carl Thayer)解释了川普退出跨太平洋伙伴关系协定的影响之一。他说，北部的越南现在希望在中国区域经济合作伙伴关系下提升与中国的贸易。

"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：“越南对跨太平洋伙伴关系协定投注了全部心血。该国同美国存在巨额贸易顺差，几乎等同于它们同中国的巨额贸易逆差。但是他们几乎无能为力。他们开始务实地转向了中国区域经济合作伙伴关系。”

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，越南希望美国在亚洲有着强大的存在，以平衡中国的影响力，特别是在中国南海。他说，现在越南将不得不让他们同美国、印度、俄罗斯、日本以及中国的关系更加平衡。

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

泰勒还表示，没有美国在该地区的强硬行动，越南将不得不更加努力地平衡中国的影响力。

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.

他说过去20多年建立好的美越关系可能会因为贸易政策的变化而受到损害。

I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.

凯利·吉恩·凯利报道。