VOA慢速英语:China to Extend 'Silk Road' Plan to Afghanistan

China is extending its Belt and Road Initiative to include Afghanistan.
中国将把一带一路倡议延伸到阿富汗。

The development plan refers to the historic Silk Road between China and the West. It aims to link more than 60 countries from Asia to Europe, through land and maritime trade routes.
这一发展规划是指中国和西方之间具有历史意义的丝绸之路。它旨在通过陆上和海上贸易路线将60多个亚洲国家同欧洲连接起来。

Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced the plan in 2013.
中国国家主席习近平于2013年提出了这一计划。

The extension plan would involve extending the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, known as CPEC, to neighboring Afghanistan. The CPEC is a program within the larger Belt and Road Initiative.
这一扩大方案包括将中巴经济走廊（简称CPEC）延伸到阿富汗。中巴经济走廊是一带一路倡议内部的项目。

China is now preparing for the first Belt and Road Forum, a meeting of countries involved in the development project. The two-day event begins Sunday in Beijing. More than 25 heads of state will attend the meeting.
中国目前正在筹备一带一路论坛，这是为该发展项目涉及国家召开的一次会议。这项为其两天的会议将于本周日在北京开始举行，超过25位国家元首将会出席这次会议。

The Unites States also is sending a delegation to the meeting. It will be led by Matthew Pottinger, an adviser to President Donald Trump and a National Security Council official for East Asia.
美国也将派代表团参加会议。该代表团将由川普总统顾问兼国家安全委员会东亚事务官员马修·波丁格（Matthew Pottinger）领衔。

China welcomed the move, which was first planned when Trump met with Xi last month in Florida.
中国对此表示欢迎，这是川普上个月同习主席在佛罗里达州会面时初步达成的计划。

China expanding its Belt and Road project
中国扩大一带一路项目

The decision to include Afghanistan has caused some observers to question whether China is trying to expand its influence in this area of Asia.
把阿富汗加入进来的决定已经使得一些观察家质疑中国是否在试图扩大其在亚洲该地区的影响力。

Ahmad Bilal Khalil is a researcher with the Center for Strategic and Regional Studies in Kabul, Afghanistan. He recently spoke with VOA about China's development plans.
艾哈迈德·卡利尔（Ahmad Bilal Khalil）是设在阿富汗首都喀布尔的战略与区域研究中心的研究人员。他最近跟美国之音谈到了中国的发展规划。

He said that the aim is to create a road linking Pakistan's Peshawar to the Afghan capital of Kabul and to Kunduz, and then deeper into Central Asia.
他说，目标是建造一条连接巴基斯坦的白沙瓦和阿富汗首都喀布尔以及昆都士的道路，然后深入中亚。

Khalil said having projects in Afghanistan will help China with its $50 billion project in Pakistan. He says the effort will bring "more Pakistani and Chinese economic interests into Afghanistan."
卡利尔表示，在阿富汗兴建的项目将对中国在巴基斯坦总额为500亿美元的项目有所帮助。他表示，这一措施将会把更多巴基斯坦和中国的经济利益带到阿富汗。

"If there is insecurity in Afghanistan, (it) can also affect CPEC and One Belt, One Road," Khalil said. One Belt, One Road is another name for the Belt and Road Initiative.
卡利尔表示，“如果阿富汗不安定，也会影响到中巴经济走廊和一带一路。”

David Kelly is with China Policy, a consulting company based in Beijing. He said that China hopes its investments in Afghanistan will reduce tensions there.
总部位于北京的咨询公司中国政策（China Policy）的戴维·凯利（David Kelly）表示，中国希望其在阿富汗的投资能够缓解这里的紧张局势。

However, he said that reducing the religious and ethnic conflict in the country has been, in his words, "something that the Americans and before them the Soviets were unable to do."
然而，他表示，减少阿富汗的宗教和种族冲突一直是美国人和他们之前的苏联人无法做到的事情。

China has invested in the copper mines of Afghanistan. It wants to improve access to the country's mineral resources.
中国已经投资了阿富汗的铜矿。它希望改善对该国矿产资源的获取渠道。

M.K. Bhadrakumar is an author and an Indian diplomat. He said that extending the Belt and Road project to Afghanistan will help China in those efforts.
M.K. Bhadrakumar是一名印度外交官和作者。他说，将一带一路项目扩大到阿富汗将有助于中国在这方面的努力。

"One trillion dollars' worth of mineral resources are available in Afghanistan," he said.
他说，“阿富汗有价值一万亿美元的矿产资源。”

Some observers note that China also may aim to be involved in Afghanistan's building industry in the future.
有观察家指出，中国也可能打算未来参与阿富汗的建筑业。

But China's main goal, some experts say, is to improve regional security through development and economic cooperation.
但是专家称中国的主要目标是通过发展和经济合作来改善区域安全。

That is a difficult task. Recent clashes on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan killed more than 50 people in two days.
这是一项艰巨的任务。巴基斯坦和阿富汗两国边境最近发生的冲突在两天内造成了50多人死亡。

Ahmad Bilal Khalil said, "There is also a huge possibility that terrorism and extremism will also be exported to central Asia."
卡利尔表示，“恐怖主义和极端主义被输入到中亚的可能性也非常大。”

Researchers at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute noted in a recent report that the Belt initiative can do little to improve relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所的研究人员在最近的一份报告中指出，一带一路倡议在改善巴基斯坦和阿富汗之间关系上能做的不多。

But, they wrote, "there may be prospects for this over the medium to long term."
但是他们写道，“从中长期来看可能会有前景。”

David Kelly with China Policy said China believes it can reduce religious extremism through offering economic benefits.
中国政策的凯利表示，中国认为可以通过提供经济利益减少宗教极端主义。

However, this policy has been proven wrong in the past, he said.
他说，然而这项政策过去已被证明是错误的