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HSK 5 · Article · 408 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/china-un-security-council-veto

中国在联合国安理会

Does China have a veto at the UN Security Council?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

联合国liánhéguó里li有yǒu一个yígè很hěn重要zhòngyào的de机构jīgòu，叫jiào“安全ānquán理事会lǐshìhuì”，中文zhōngwén常cháng说shuō“安理会ānlǐhuì”。它tā管guǎn的de是shì世界shìjiè的de安全ānquán：比如bǐrú，它tā可以kéyǐ要求yāoqiú各国gèguó不bù和hé某mǒu个gè国家guójiā做生意zuòshēngyi，也yě可以kéyǐ派pài军人jūnrén去qù别的biéde国家guójiā保护bǎohù当地dāngdì的de安全ānquán。

安理会ānlǐhuì一yí共有gòngyǒu十五shíwǔ个gè成员国chéngyuánguó。其中qízhōng五wǔ个gè是shì“常任理事国chángrènlǐshìguó”：中国zhōngguó、法国fǎguó、俄罗斯éluósī、英国yīngguó和hé美国měiguó，它们tāmen一直yìzhí都dōu在zài。另外lìngwài十shí个gè由yóu联合国大会liánhéguódàhuì选出xuǎnchū，任期rènqī两liǎng年nián，每年měinián换huàn一半yíbàn。

这zhè五wǔ个gè国家guójiā有yǒu一个yígè特别tèbié的de权力quánlì，叫jiào“否决权fǒujuéquán”。一yí个gè决定juédìng要yào通过tōngguò，至少zhìshǎo需要xūyào九jiǔ个gè国家guójiā同意tóngyì，而且érqiě这zhè五wǔ个gè国家guójiā都dōu没有méiyǒu投tóu反对票fǎnduìpiào。只要zhǐyào五wǔ个gè国家guójiā里li有yǒu一个yígè反对fǎnduì，这zhè个gè决定juédìng就jiù不能bùnéng通过tōngguò。

一九四五年yījiǔsìwǔnián联合国liánhéguó成立chénglì的de时候shíhou，中国zhōngguó就是jiùshì这zhè五wǔ个gè国家guójiā之一zhīyī。在zài这zhè以前yǐqián，中国zhōngguó的de席位xíwèi由yóu在zài台湾táiwān的de中华民国zhōnghuá-mínguó政府zhèngfǔ代表dàibiǎo。一九七一年yījiǔqīyīnián十月shíyuè，联合国大会liánhéguódàhuì通过tōngguò了le第dì二七五八èrqī-wǔbā号hào决议juéyì，从cóng那nà以后yǐhòu，由yóu中华人民共和国zhōnghuárénmíngònghéguó在zài联合国liánhéguó代表dàibiǎo中国zhōngguó。

和hé美国měiguó、俄罗斯éluósī比bǐ，中国zhōngguó用yòng否决权fǒujuéquán的de次数cìshù要yào少shǎo很hěn多duō。不bù同意tóngyì的de时候shíhou，中国zhōngguó也yě常常chángcháng选择xuǎnzé弃权qìquán，就是jiùshì既jì不bù说shuō“是shì”，也yě不bù说shuō“不bù”。

有人yǒurén认为rènwéi，只有zhíyǒu五wǔ个gè国家guójiā有yǒu这个zhège权力quánlì，不bù公平gōngpíng，安理会ānlǐhuì应该yīnggāi改革gǎigé；也yě有人yǒurén认为rènwéi，正是zhèngshì因为yīnwèi有yǒu这个zhège权力quánlì，大国dàguó才cái愿意yuànyì留liú在zài联合国liánhéguó里li。这个zhège讨论tǎolùn已经yǐjīng进行jìnxíng了le几十年jǐshínián。

你nǐ觉得juéde安理会ānlǐhuì需要xūyào改革gǎigé吗ma？

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
保护bǎohùto protect; to safeguard; protection
其中qízhōngamong them; in it
由yóuby (marks who does something)
通过tōngguòby means of; through
至少zhìshǎoat least
反对fǎnduìto oppose; to object to; to be against
就是jiùshìexactly; precisely; is (emphatic)
既jìalready (as in 既往)
留liúto keep; to retain
讨论tǎolùnto discuss; to talk over; discussion
进行jìnxíngto carry out; to conduct
机构jīgòuorganization; institution; agency

Questions

  1. 安理会一共有多少个成员国？

    How many member states does the Security Council have in total?

    A. 五个B. 十五个C. 十个

  2. 一个决定要通过，需要什么？

    What is needed for a decision to pass?

    A. 至少九个国家同意，而且五个常任理事国都没有反对B. 只要五个国家都同意C. 只要联合国大会同意

  3. 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?

    A. 差不多一样多B. 少很多C. 从来不用

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.

  1. 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?”.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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

  1. B. 十五个: 安理会一共有十五个成员国。
  2. 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。
  3. B. 少很多: 和美国、俄罗斯比，中国用否决权的次数要少很多。