英語学習

【Asia Business English】China’s Xi keeps Iranian president at arm’s length weeks ahead of Trump summit（B1–B2）

 

Contents

🎧 Audio

📖 Script

Recently, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, China’s President Xi Jinping had a brief and low-key meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. This meeting was not given much attention, and the reason behind this is quite strategic. In a few weeks, President Xi is scheduled to meet with then-President Donald Trump for an important summit. This upcoming meeting with Trump is crucial because it will focus on several significant issues like trade, tariffs, and international relations.

China is trying to maintain a delicate balance in its foreign relations. On one hand, it has strong economic ties with Iran, but on the other, it also needs to maintain a good relationship with the United States. The U.S. has been pressuring countries to isolate Iran economically due to its nuclear program, and China does not want to appear too close to Iran at this critical time. This is why President Xi’s meeting with Iran’s president was kept low-profile.

At the same time, China is navigating complex geopolitical waters. The relationship between China and the U.S. is tense, primarily due to trade tariffs and other economic sanctions that have been impacting their economies. President Xi’s strategy seems to be one of caution, ensuring that China does not jeopardize its relationship with the U.S. while managing its commitments to other countries like Iran.

This situation highlights the complexities of international diplomacy, where countries must carefully balance their national interests with their international relationships. As the world watches, the upcoming summit between China and the U.S. will likely have significant implications for global trade and political alliances.

📝 Vocabulary

  • summit: a high-level meeting between leaders
    例文: “The leaders met at the summit to discuss global issues.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • attend a summit
    • host a summit
    • summit meeting
    首脳会議
  • tariffs: taxes on imports or exports
    例文: “Many countries impose tariffs to protect local industries.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • impose tariffs
    • reduce tariffs
    • trade tariffs
    関税
  • sanctions: penalties imposed on a country to influence its actions
    例文: “International sanctions were placed on the country due to its policies.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • impose sanctions
    • lift sanctions
    • economic sanctions
    制裁
  • delicate: requiring careful handling
    例文: “The negotiations are in a delicate phase.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • delicate balance
    • delicate issue
    • delicate situation
    微妙な
  • diplomacy: the practice of managing international relations
    例文: “Diplomacy is crucial in resolving conflicts peacefully.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • international diplomacy
    • diplomatic relations
    • skilled in diplomacy
    外交

✏️ Grammar Point

Present Continuous Tense – “China is trying to maintain a delicate balance in its foreign relations.”

文法の日本語補足を見る
現在進行形は、現在の進行中の動作や状況を表します

💡 使用場面

現在進行中の状況や変化を説明する際に使われます。例えば、ビジネス会議で進行中のプロジェクトについて話すとき。

📝 使用例文

“例: In a business meeting, you might say: ‘If we cut costs now, we can increase our profit margin next quarter.’”

❓ Listening Questions

  1. True/False: President Xi Jinping had a high-profile meeting with the Iranian President at the SCO summit.
  2. MCQ: What is one of the main reasons China is keeping a low profile with Iran?
    a) To avoid economic sanctions
    b) To prepare for a summit with the U.S.
    c) To focus on domestic issues
    d) To strengthen ties with Russia
  3. MCQ: What are the main topics of the upcoming summit between China and the U.S.?
    a) Sports and education
    b) Health and welfare
    c) Trade and tariffs
    d) Environmental policies
🔑 Listening Answersを見る
  1. False
  2. b) To prepare for a summit with the U.S.
  3. c) Trade and tariffs

📚 Reading Questions

  1. Who did President Xi meet with at the SCO summit, and how was the meeting described?
  2. Why do you think China is cautious about appearing close to Iran before meeting with the U.S.?
  3. What does the word “delicate” mean in the context of international relations?
🔑 Reading Answersを見る
  1. President Xi met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a low-key meeting.
  2. China is cautious because it wants to avoid jeopardizing its relationship with the U.S. amid trade and political tensions.
  3. In this context, “delicate” means requiring careful handling or being sensitive.

🇯🇵 日本語での経済ニュース解説

中国の習近平国家主席は、上海協力機構（SCO）サミットでイランのハッサン・ロウハニ大統領と控えめな会談を行いました。これは数週間後に予定されているトランプ大統領との重要なサミットを前に、イランとの関係をあまり強調しないようにするための戦略的な動きです。このサミットでは、貿易や関税、国際関係などの重要な問題が議題となっています。中国はイランとの経済的な結びつきが強い一方で、アメリカとの良好な関係を維持する必要があります。特にアメリカは、イランの核プログラムに対する経済的な孤立を求めており、中国としては微妙な外交のバランスを取らなければなりません。

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/02/china-trump-iran-summit-nuclear-trade-tariffs-sanctions-.html

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