中国在联合国安理会
Does China have a veto at the UN Security Council?
Name: ________________ Date: ________
联合国里有一个很重要的机构，叫“安全理事会”，中文常说“安理会”。它管的是世界的安全：比如，它可以要求各国不和某个国家做生意，也可以派军人去别的国家保护当地的安全。
安理会一共有十五个成员国。其中五个是“常任理事国”：中国、法国、俄罗斯、英国和美国，它们一直都在。另外十个由联合国大会选出，任期两年，每年换一半。
这五个国家有一个特别的权力，叫“否决权”。一个决定要通过，至少需要九个国家同意，而且这五个国家都没有投反对票。只要五个国家里有一个反对，这个决定就不能通过。
一九四五年联合国成立的时候，中国就是这五个国家之一。在这以前，中国的席位由在台湾的中华民国政府代表。一九七一年十月，联合国大会通过了第二七五八号决议，从那以后，由中华人民共和国在联合国代表中国。
和美国、俄罗斯比，中国用否决权的次数要少很多。不同意的时候，中国也常常选择弃权，就是既不说“是”，也不说“不”。
有人认为，只有五个国家有这个权力，不公平，安理会应该改革；也有人认为，正是因为有这个权力，大国才愿意留在联合国里。这个讨论已经进行了几十年。
你觉得安理会需要改革吗？
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 保护 | bǎohù | to protect; to safeguard; protection |
| 其中 | qízhōng | among them; in it |
| 由 | yóu | by (marks who does something) |
| 通过 | tōngguò | by means of; through |
| 至少 | zhìshǎo | at least |
| 反对 | fǎnduì | to oppose; to object to; to be against |
| 就是 | jiùshì | exactly; precisely; is (emphatic) |
| 既 | jì | already (as in 既往) |
| 留 | liú | to keep; to retain |
| 讨论 | tǎolùn | to discuss; to talk over; discussion |
| 进行 | jìnxíng | to carry out; to conduct |
| 机构 | jīgòu | organization; institution; agency |
Questions
安理会一共有多少个成员国？
How many member states does the Security Council have in total?
一个决定要通过，需要什么？
What is needed for a decision to pass?
和美国、俄罗斯比，中国用否决权怎么样？
Compared with the US and Russia, how does China use the veto?
Lesson plan: 45 minutes (for the teacher)
HSK 5 · Does China have a veto at the UN Security Council?. By the end, students can read it aloud, say what it is about and use 机构 and 保护 in sentences of their own.
Warm-up 5 min
Write 中国在联合国安理会 on the board. Ask what the class thinks it is about, then give the English: “Does China have a veto at the UN Security Council?”.
Key words 10 min
Teach 机构 (jīgòu, organization; institution; agency), 保护 (bǎohù, to protect; to safeguard; protection), 其中 (qízhōng, among them; in it), 由 (yóu, by (marks who does something)), 通过 (tōngguò, by means of; through), 至少 (zhìshǎo, at least). Say each one, the class says it back, then ask for its meaning with the word covered. The rest are in the handout’s table.
Listen 10 min
Play it read aloud from mandarinthewild.com/library/read/china-un-security-council-veto: once with the text face down, once reading along. Students tap any word there for its meaning.
Read and check 10 min
Students read it alone, then answer the 3 questions on the handout. Go through them together; the answers and the line that proves each are on the teacher’s page.
Use it 10 min
In pairs, each student writes two sentences of their own, one with 机构 and one with 保护, and reads one to the class.
Homework. Students read it again at home and Review its words. Put it in a free class (mandarinthewild.com/teachers/class) and you see who read it.
English (for the teacher)
The United Nations has a very important body called the “Security Council”, usually “Anlihui” in Chinese. It is in charge of the world’s security: for example, it can require countries to stop doing business with a certain country, and it can send soldiers to other countries to protect security there.
The Security Council has fifteen member states in all. Five of them are “permanent members”: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, and they are always there. The other ten are elected by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms, with half replaced each year.
These five countries have a special power called the “veto”. For a decision to pass it needs at least nine countries to agree, and none of these five may vote against it. If even one of the five votes against it, the decision cannot pass.
When the UN was founded in 1945, China was already one of these five. Before 1971, China’s seat was held by the Republic of China government on Taiwan. In October 1971 the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2758, and from then on the People’s Republic of China has represented China at the UN.
Compared with the United States and Russia, China has used its veto far less often. When it disagrees, China also often chooses to abstain, that is, to say neither “yes” nor “no”.
Some people think it is unfair that only five countries have this power and that the Security Council should be reformed; others think it is exactly because of this power that the big countries are willing to stay in the UN. This debate has gone on for decades.
Do you think the Security Council needs reform?
Answers
- B. 十五个: 安理会一共有十五个成员国。
- A. 至少九个国家同意，而且五个常任理事国都没有反对: 一个决定要通过，至少需要九个国家同意，而且这五个国家都没有投反对票。
- B. 少很多: 和美国、俄罗斯比，中国用否决权的次数要少很多。