BBC Learning English
Words in the News
Obama criticises China over currency
14th November 2011
The US President Barack Obama has criticised China for not allowing its currency, the yuan, to rise in value. The comment was made at the end of the APEC Asia-Pacific regional summit in Hawaii. The issue has been a sore point between the United States and China for several years as our business reporter Jon Bithrey explains: President Obama's comments criticising China are amongst his strongest to date. In general the US government has preferred to make its feelings known behind closed doors, cautious about upsetting one of its biggest trading partners.
During a news conference, Mr Obama said many economists believed the yuan was undervalued by between 20 and 25%, making exports to China from the US much more expensive and imports much cheaper.
He said China had to operate by the same rules as everyone. Earlier China's foreign ministry issued a statement saying President Obama was told by his counterpart, Hu Jintao, that the problems in the American economy wouldn't be solved by an appreciation of the yuan.
President Obama is certainly under pressure on the domestic front. With the American economy still flagging, calls from politicians are mounting for tougher measures to be taken to force China to change its stance.
And with President Obama entering an election year, he may feel now is the time to raise the rhetoric.
John Bithrey, BBC News
Words in the News
© British Broadcasting Corporation 2011
Page 1 of 2
bbclearningenglish.com
Vocabulary and definitions
behind closed doors
in private
upsetting
displeasing
trading partners
countries that buy and sell goods with each other undervalued
been kept at a lower rate in relation to major currencies counterpart
in the equivalent post
an appreciation
an increased valuation
flagging
performing weakly
mounting
increasing
stance
position
rhetoric
language designed to persuade
More on this story:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15715675
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/11/111114_witn_obama_china.shtml
Words in the News
© British Broadcasting Corporation 2011
Page 2 of 2
bbclearningenglish.com
Wyszukiwarka
Podobne podstrony:
111117154900 bbc witn moon wate Nieznany130904121016 bbc vwitn train id Nieznany130410150520 bbc tews 119 lol i Nieznany111111150645 111111 witn sea ga Nieznany120808080205 bbc english at wor Nieznany111216124909 witn amundsen id 2 Nieznany111129121921 bbc vwitn japan id Nieznany110419142753 bbc tews 15 touchy Nieznany111122165231 bbc tews 46 nailed Nieznany121211130058 bbc english at wor Nieznany110920160032 bbc tews 37 hold y Nieznany111124155929 witn palestine id Nieznany120130133710 bbc ee coffee tea Nieznany130123110525 bbc english at wor Nieznany121113110420 bbc tews 98 drop d Nieznany111011142343 bbc tews 40 playin Nieznany130410102858 bbc tews 118 makeo Nieznany130820095553 bbc tews 137 worms Nieznany120731093357 bbc tews 82 quids Nieznanywięcej podobnych podstron