The formation and operation of regional groups should be motivated by concrete, pragmatic considerations.  It’s more important to have organizations that produce results, rather than simply producing new organizations.

成立和运作地区组织应该以具体而务实的精神为动力。更为重要的是，组织机构应产生实效，而非徒具虚名。

Now, dialogue is critical in any multilateral institution.  But as Asian nations become regional and global players, we must focus increasingly on action.  Groups should assess their progress regularly and honestly, and emphasize that all participants are responsible for playing a positive role.

对话是任何多边机制的关键。然而，随着亚洲国家成为地区和全球参与者，我们必须逐渐侧重于行动。机构应经常如实地评估其进展，并强调所有参与者都应发挥积极作用。

For example, in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami that devastated South and Southeast Asia, the world witnessed how concrete collective action and a relentless focus on results can provide hope in the face of tragedy.  Beyond immediate assistance to areas hit by the tsunami, the disaster response was a catalyst for cooperation across the broader region.  It helped to forge enduring political, military, and civilian relationships that have enhanced our ability to respond collectively to natural disasters.  We should learn from this example, and act with similar urgency and efficiency in dealing with challenges such as climate change and food security.  I am proud that the United States has been and will continue to be a leader in this area.  Just this last year, we played a critical role in the civilian-military response that helped bring relief to areas ravaged by cyclones, such as the Philippines and others.

例如，2004年南亚和东南亚遭受海啸袭击之后，全世界目睹了具体的集体行动和严格追求实效的做法如何在灾难发生时为人们带来希望。除了向海啸灾区迅速提供援助之外，救灾工作推动了整个地区的合作，帮助缔造了持久的政治、军事及民间关系，强化了我们通过集体行动应对自然灾害的能力。我们应从这一范例中获得启迪，以同样的紧迫感和效率来迎接气候变化、食品安全及其他挑战。我感到自豪的是，美国一直并将继续在这一地区发挥领导作用。就在过去一年里，我们在军民救灾工作中发挥了关键作用，为菲律宾等遭受龙卷风袭击的国家减轻了灾害后果。

Now, to produce consistent results, institutions need effective governance.  That doesn’t mean that every organization will use the same mechanism to make decisions.  But it does mean that they should embrace efficient decision-making processes and, where appropriate, differentiated roles and responsibilities.  At the same time, building serious multilateral institutions requires us to share the burden of operating them. Systems that reward free riders and minimalist contributions are designed to fail.

为了取得稳固成效，各种机构都需要接受有效管理。这并不是说每个组织都要利用同样的机制作出决定，但它确实意味着每个组织都应采纳有效的决策程序并适时发挥不同的作用和承担不同的责任。与此同时，建设认真努力的多边机构要求我们必须分担管理的重担。鼓励不劳而获地搭便车和最低限度地参与的体系注定要失败。

So on security matters, we are eager to strengthen the ASEAN Regional Forum.  The United States will continue to participate in the Forum, and we hope to build on some recent successes, including an inaugural civil-military disaster relief exercise last May.  The ASEAN Regional Forum should make good on the vision laid out at our meeting in Thailand last July for it to assume greater responsibilities for disaster relief and humanitarian operations.  And the United States stands ready to assist in facilitating that.  It should also build on the Forum’s demonstrated recognition that Burma and other regional human rights issues will have a substantial effect on regional peace and security.  One reason I have established an ambassadorial post to ASEAN in Jakarta is to strengthen this institutionalized process.

因此，在安全问题上我们渴望加强东南亚国家联盟地区论坛。美国将继续参加这个论坛，我们希望在最近一些成功实例的基础上继续努力，其中包括去年5月首次举行的军民联合救灾演习。东南亚国家联盟地区论坛应努力实现去年7月在泰国举行的会议上所提出的愿景，为救灾和人道主义行动承担更大的责任。美国随时准备为促进这类行动提供援助。该论坛公开承认缅甸问题及其他地区性人权问题将对地区和平与安全产生重大影响，它应当以此为基础继续努力。我在雅加达设置一个驻东南亚国家联盟的大使级职位就是为了强化这个体制化进程。

Fourth, we must seek to maintain and enhance flexibility in pursuing the results we seek.  Now, in some instances, large multilateral institutions may lack the tools necessary to manage particular problems.  Where it makes sense, we will participate in informal arrangements targeted to specific challenges, and we will support sub-regional institutions that advance the shared interests of groups of neighbors.

第四，我们必须在力求取得这些成效时努力保持和增强灵活性。现在，在某些情况下，大型多边机构可能缺少必要的工具来处理具体的问题。在适当的领域，我们将参加以应对具体挑战为目标的非正式磋商，并将支持那些促进周边国家共同利益的次地区机构。

Another example of that is the Six-Party Talks, which show the potential of an informal arrangement to advance shared interests.  Key regional actors have joined together to pursue the verifiable denuclearization of North Korea.  Now, making progress toward the complete and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea we know will strengthen security across Asia-Pacific countries, and we are working with our Six-Party partners for a resumption of the Six-Party Talks in the near future.

另外一个实例是六方会谈，它展示了旨在促进共同利益的非正式磋商的潜能。该地区的重要参与方一直在共同努力，争取以可核查的方式实现北韩去核化。我们知道，向全面地、不可逆转地实现北韩去核化的目标迈进将增进亚太地区各个国家的安全，我们正在与我们的伙伴共同努力，争取在近期内恢复六方会谈。

We have engaged in an enhanced relationship the Lower Mekong countries.  We have a Trilateral Strategic Dialogue with Japan and Australia, with Japan and South Korea, and we have informal arrangements guiding cooperation in the Straits of Malacca.  And these are each examples of how this kind of multilateralism can produce effective outcomes.   And I’m on my way to Australia, where Secretary Gates and I will be meeting in a 2+2 setting with our counterparts there.  So we welcome further opportunities to engage this way, for example in trilateral dialogues with Japan and China, and with Japan and India.

我们已与湄公河下游的国家增强了联系。我们与日本和澳大利亚、以及日本和韩国进行了三边战略对话。我们通过非正式磋商来指导在马六甲海峡地区的合作。这些都是这种多边主义怎样能产生有效成果的实例。我即将前往澳大利亚，国防部长盖茨与我将在那里以2对2的方式与澳大利亚有关官员会晤。因此，我们欢迎今后以这种方式接触的机会，例如与日本和中国以及日本和印度进行三边对话。

When it comes to sub-regional institutions, we really believe that ASEAN is an important success story.  It has made a bold decision to integrate across the economic, socio-cultural, and political-security spheres.  We believe that a strong, integrated ASEAN will serve broader regional interests in stability and prosperity.  And so we will continue to support ASEAN and we will continue emphasize capacity-building activities under the enhanced U.S.-ASEAN Enhanced Partnership and the economic-focused U.S.-ASEAN Trade and Investment Framework Agreement.  President Obama had that valuable first-ever meeting with ASEAN’s ten leaders in Singapore.

当我们谈到次地区机构时，我们确实认为东南亚国家联盟是一个重要的成功范例。它作出了有魄力的决定，将经济、社会文化和政治安全领域一体化。我们相信，一个强大的、一体化的东南亚国家联盟将为更广泛的稳定与繁荣的地区利益作出贡献。因此我们将继续支持东南亚国家联盟，同时我们还将继续根据业已加强的《增进美国-东盟伙伴关系计划》和以经济为重点的《美国-东盟贸易与投资框架协议》来加强能力建设工作。为此，奥巴马总统与东南亚国家联盟的10位领导人在新加坡举行了史无前例的重要会议。

Now, I know some people, their eyes may glaze over when you hear all these acronyms, but we need to recognize that these regional organizations are very important to the actors who are in them.  And the failure of the United States not to participate demonstrates a lack of respect and a willingness to engage.   And that is why I made it very clear upon becoming Secretary of State that the United States would show up.  I don’t know if half of life is showing up, but I think half of diplomacy is showing up.

我知道，有些人听到这一连串缩略语时，可能会感到茫然，但我们需要认识到：这些区域性组织对于其中的参与者来说十分重要。美国如果不参与，就是缺乏尊重、缺乏接触意愿的表现。因此，我在就任美国国务卿伊始便十分清楚地表明美国将会参与。我不知道是否能够马到成功，但我知道我们在外交领域已经在全力以赴。

And as we’ve also seen new organizations, including the ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN+3, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, we hope that we will be able to participate actively in many of those.

我们还看到了包括东南亚国家联盟地区论坛、东盟+3及上海合作组织在内的新的组织，我们希望我们将能积极参与其中多个组织的工作。

Fifth, we need to decide, as Asia-Pacific nations, which will be the defining regional institutions.  So although we respect and will work with the organizations that countries themselves have created, some of recent vintage, it’s important that we do a better job of trying to define which organizations will best protect and promote our collective future.

第五，作为亚太地区国家，我们需要确定哪些组织将成为决定性的地区机构。因此，尽管我们尊重一些国家自己组建的组织——有些刚成立不久——并将与之合作，但我们必须更好地完成努力确定哪些组织能够最有效地捍卫并促进我们的共同前途的工作。

Now, each may have its place and its purpose.  But the defining ones will include all the key stakeholders.  And these may be well-established, like APEC, or they could be of more recent vintage, like the East Asia Summit, or more likely, a mix of well-established and new.  This is a critical question that we must answer together through consultation and coordination.

每一个机构都有其作用和目的，但具有决定性的机构将包括所有的利益相关者。其中有些可能由来已久，如亚太经合组织；有些可能成立于近期，如东亚峰会；或者更有可能的是，它们是新老机构的结合。这是一个我们必须通过磋商和协调共同回答的关键问题。

During his visit to Tokyo last year, President Obama conveyed the United States’ intention to engage fully with these new organizations.  And as a part of this strategy, we propose to begin consultations with Asian partners and friends on how the United States might play a role in the East Asia Summit, and how the East Asia Summit fits into the broader institutional landscape, and how major meetings in the region can be sequenced most effectively for everyone’s time.

奥巴马总统在去年访问东京期间表达了美国准备全面参与这些新机构的意愿。作为这一战略的一项内容，我们提议与亚洲伙伴和盟友就美国如何在东亚峰会上发挥作用、东亚峰会将在更广的机构格局中处于何种位置、以及如何安排主要地区性会议从而能使各方最有效地利用时间等问题开始磋商。

There is also a continuing need for an institution that is aimed at fostering the steady economic integration of the region based on shared principles and objectives. I think APEC is the organization that we and our partners must engage in, ensuring that it moves toward fulfilling that responsibility.

一个继续存在的需要是，要有一个旨在以共同的原则和目标为基础，促进地区经济稳步融合的机构。我认为，我们和我们的合作伙伴必须参与亚太经合组织，确保它朝着履行这一职责的方向发展。