日中首脳会談 「中国異質論」強めた１０分懇談

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 1, 2010)
China's erratic moves make relations difficult
日中首脳会談　「中国異質論」強めた１０分懇談（10月31日付・読売社説）

Isn't it important for the leaders of Japan and China to sit and talk in search of a breakthrough, especially at a time when their countries' relationship has gone sour?
　日中関係がこじれている時こそ、首脳同士がじっくり話し合い、事態の打開を図ることが重要ではないのか。

It is extremely regrettable that the leaders' "conversation" ended in just 10 minutes.
　わずか１０分の“懇談”で終わったのは極めて遺憾だ。

Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao had a spontaneous informal meeting in a waiting room at the East Asia Summit in Hanoi on Saturday. During the brief meeting, the two leaders affirmed their continued efforts to promote strategic, mutually beneficial relations, but the discussion itself was rather superficial.
　ハノイで行われた菅首相と中国の温家宝首相との非公式会談のことである。東アジア首脳会議の会場控室で急きょ持たれた。日中が引き続き戦略的互恵関係を推進することを確認したが、中身のある協議には至らなかった。

At a press conference later in the day, Kan said he believes that Japan and China will be able to maintain their friendly relationship although various events have occurred between the two nations. However, it is undeniable that things turned out contrary to his initial expectations.
　菅首相は記者会見で、「日中間にいろいろな出来事が起きているが、友好関係は継続できると確信する」と述べたものの、当初の目算が狂ったのは否定できない。

Diplomatic zigzags

On Friday morning, the Japanese and Chinese foreign ministers arranged for a Kan-Wen meeting to be held that night. However, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue announced China's rejection of the Japan-proposed summit meeting at the very last minute.
　首脳会談は、２９日午前の外相会談による事前調整を受けて、その夜に開かれる予定だった。ところが、土壇場になって中国の外務次官補が中止を公表した。

As a reason for China's rejection of the summit meeting, Hu touched on the issue of the Senkaku Islands and said Japan had colluded with other countries to exacerbate the issue. He also accused Japan of having distorted China's stance of honoring a common understanding between the two nations on the East China Sea issue in its statements about the content of the meeting between the Japanese and Chinese foreign ministers.
　次官補は、尖閣諸島について、「日本が他国と結託し、問題を煽(あお)った」ことや、外相会談の内容説明で「中国の立場を歪曲(わいきょく)した」ことを理由に挙げた。

In saying "colluded with other countries," Beijing apparently referred to a Japan-U.S. meeting of foreign ministers on Wednesday, at which U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton clearly stated that the Senkaku Islands are subject to the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, which obligates the United States to defend Japan. However, the remark is nothing new.
　「他国と結託」とは、クリントン米国務長官が、尖閣諸島について日米安保条約の防衛義務の対象と明言した２７日の日米外相会談を指すのだろう。だが、これは何ら目新しいものではない。

In saying "having distorted China's stance," China apparently referred to a report by the French news service AFP, which said Japan and China had agreed during the foreign ministers' meeting to resume negotiations for a treaty on development of natural gas fields in the East China Sea. However, AFP issued a correction to the inaccurate report.
　「立場を歪曲」とは、仏ＡＦＰ通信が配信した「外相会談でガス田条約交渉再開を合意」の記事とみられる。しかし、ＡＦＰは誤報記事として訂正した。

Flimsy pretexts to cancel

We cannot help but say these are extremely poor reasons for canceling summit diplomacy. The impression is inescapable that China avoided the meeting by citing reasons that cannot be reasons, one after another, for fear of a backlash from hard-liners in China.
　首脳外交を取りやめるにしてはあまりにもお粗末な理由と言わざるを得ない。中国国内の対日強硬派の反発を恐れて、理由にならない理由を並べて会談を避けた、とみられても仕方あるまい。

China's rejection of the latest proposed summit meeting has only strengthened the impression that the country is difficult to deal with.
　今回の会談拒否は、結果的に、中国が扱いにくい国であるとの印象を強めることになった。

China accepted the informal meeting that finally did occur, though it was a mere 10 minutes, apparently because Beijing is concerned that it would become isolated internationally if its continued rejection of an official summit meeting fed the perception that China is alien to the rest of world.
　中国も、１０分とは言え、会談に応じたのは、正式な首脳会談を拒否したままでは“中国異質論”がますます広がり、国際的に孤立すると危惧(きぐ)したのだろう。

Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit Japan in mid-November to attend the meeting of the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
　１１月中旬には、アジア太平洋経済協力会議（ＡＰＥＣ）首脳会議に出席するため、胡錦濤国家主席が訪日する。

China must not repeat this kind of behavior. We hope Beijing will accept an official summit meeting and tangibly demonstrate "mutually beneficial" relations by resuming negotiations for a treaty on development of the natural gas fields in the East China Sea, which it unilaterally suspended, and normalizing its rare earths exports to Japan.
　中国は、今回のような事態を繰り返してはならない。正式な日中首脳会談を開き、一方的に中断したガス田条約交渉の再開や、レアアース（希土類）輸出の正常化など、具体的な行動で「互恵」を示してほしい。

It is essential for Japan to maintain its stance to accept a dialogue with China any time and calmly respond to the situation.
　日本は、いつでも対話に応じる姿勢を維持し、冷静に対処することが肝要だろう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 31, 2010)
（2010年10月31日01時17分 読売新聞）