克里:跨太平洋合作伙伴协议谈判有进展

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday the 12 nations negotiating the massive Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal have made "good progress" toward reaching a final agreement, but that some details remain to be worked out.

He highlighted a series of goals for the pact as he spoke during a visit to Singapore, saying the deal would not only create economic opportunities for the countries involved, but also serve as a show of support for "good governance, transparency and accountability."

Negotiations have stretched on for years, and last week trade ministers failed to agree on a final pact during talks in Hawaii. If completed, the so-called TPP could cover 40 percent of the global economy.

Kerry said the TPP would raise standards by calling for compliance with international labor and environmental standards, for state-owned companies to compete fairly with the private sector, and for businesses to refrain from the use of underage workers or unsafe work places.

克里在访问新加坡期间发表演讲，强调指出这项协议的一系列目标。他表示，该协议不仅能为签署国创造经济机会，而且还能显示对“善治、透明及问责”的支持。

有关谈判已经持续了数年，各国贸易部长上星期未能在夏威夷的谈判中达成最终协议。如能最终达成协议，跨太平洋合作伙伴协议将涵盖全球经济的40%。

克里说，跨太平洋合作伙伴协议将提高标准，规定必须遵守国际劳工和环保标准，国有企业必须公平地同私有企业竞争，并规定企业不得雇用未成年人或使用不安全的工作场所。