朝鮮半島―米中が対話の環境作りを

2010/12/01
--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 30
EDITORIAL: Korean Peninsula crisis
朝鮮半島―米中が対話の環境作りを

Addressing the nation Monday, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak denounced North Korea for responding to South Korea's offer of dialogue, collaboration and unstinting humanitarian assistance with a series of provocative acts, including nuclear development programs, the sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan and the shelling of Daeyeonpyeongdo island.
　「対話と協力を通じて努力し、人道支援も惜しまなかったのに、返ってきたのは、核開発と哨戒艦爆沈に続いて島への砲撃だった」

Lee's ire is fully understandable.
　韓国の李明博大統領が昨日、国民向け演説でそう憤ったのも無理ない。

Forty-six South Korean crew members died in the Cheonan incident, while the bombardment of the island killed four South Koreans, including two civilians, and reduced many homes to charred rubble.
　哨戒艦事件で兵士４６人が犠牲になった。今回の砲撃は民間人を含む４人の命を奪い、多くの民家を焼いた。

The most important thing now is to avert any further incident and ease tensions. Not only the two Koreas, but also all related nations must work hard to reach these goals.
　いま最も大切なのは、更なる衝突を回避し、緊張を和らげることだ。当事者はむろん、関係国はそのための知恵を絞らねばならない。

Beijing on Sunday proposed an emergency meeting of the heads of delegation to the six-party talks in early December.
　中国政府が、６者協議の代表による緊急の会合を呼びかけた。

The six-party talks are designed for North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China, Russia and the United States to discuss North Korea's denuclearization and normalization of its ties with the United States and Japan.
　６者協議は本来、南北朝鮮と日米中ロが参加し、北朝鮮の非核化、米朝や日朝の関係正常化をめざすものだ。

But the emergency meeting proposed by Beijing will not address the North Korean nuclear issue. The delegates will exchange views on "complex factors that have recently emerged with respect to Korean Peninsula affairs," according to Beijing.
中国が提案したのは、核問題を扱う正式な協議ではない。「最近、半島情勢に複雑な要素が現れている」といい、６者で意見を交換したいという。

China has been under pressure from the international community to exert its influence on North Korea. As host of the six-party talks, China probably figured that proposing an emergency meeting should be seen as evidence of how seriously it is taking its responsibility, which in turn should keep North Korea reined in.
　北朝鮮に影響力を及ぼすよう求められている中国が、真剣に動いていることを世界に示す。対話を提案しているとき、北朝鮮は新たな挑発をしづらくなるだろう――。６者協議の議長国である中国が、そう期待しての提案かもしれない。

We can well appreciate Beijing's attempt to seize any opportunity to bring the situation under control. However, we are skeptical of this hastily proposed meeting producing any tangible results.
　事態好転の糸口を探ろうという狙いはわかる。だが、今いきなり６者代表が集まって、現実的な成果をあげられようか。

In fact, Seoul's response to the proposal was that now is not the time to talk about six-party talks. Washington, too, asserted that North Korea must first change its attitude.
　韓国は「まだその時期ではない」と反応している。米国も、北朝鮮が「態度の変化」をはっきり示すことが先決だとする立場を明らかにした。

Tokyo's stance is the same--that Pyongyang must first acknowledge responsibility for its own actions, among other things.
　日本もそれに同調している。北朝鮮は行為の責任を認めるなど、先にすべきことがある、という姿勢だ。

But Pyongyang blames Seoul's provocations for the shelling of the island. And the reclusive country recently revealed its uranium enrichment facility and announced the planned construction of a light water reactor, both spelling the advancement of its nuclear development program.
In addition, there are moves that show Pyongyang could be gearing up for another nuclear test.
　北朝鮮は、韓国の挑発が砲撃の原因だと反論している。新たな核開発につながるウラン濃縮施設の公表や軽水炉の建設のほか、核実験の準備ととられかねない動きも見せている。

Given the situation, the proposed six-party meeting is unlikely to achieve anything. But doing nothing will only prolong the tense standoff. Something needs to be done eventually to get to the bottom of the North Korean nuclear problem.
　これでは、６者が顔を合わせたところで平行線に終わる。だが、何もしないままでは、緊張と膠着（こうちゃく）状態が続く。北朝鮮の核をどうするかも、いずれ本格的に打開する必要がある。

Ultimately, the United States and China are the only countries that have the power to turn around the situation. 　局面を転換させる大きな力を持っているのは、やはり米国と中国だ。

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday spoke on the phone with China's state councilor, Dai Bingguo, who oversees foreign policies. Dai reportedly told Clinton that China and the United States must actively play constructive roles in these crucial times.
　一昨日、クリントン米国務長官と、中国外交を統括する戴秉国国務委員が電話で話し合った。戴氏は「重要なときに中米が建設的役割を積極的に果たさねばならない」と語った。

We fully agree. We hope Washington and Beijing will work together to pave the way for dialogue among related nations.
　その通りである。両国が対話の環境づくりに協力して努めてもらいたい。

Clinton intends to meet with her Japanese and South Korean counterparts. Beijing is expected to send a high-ranking official to Pyongyang.
　米国は日韓との外相会談を開く意向だ。中国は近く高官を訪朝させると観測されている。

The groundwork can be laid for the next six-party talks only with the United States and China taking the lead in coordinating the member nations and persuading North Korea to come to the table. Japan should follow this strategy and contribute to detente on the Korean Peninsula.
北朝鮮を説得し、各国を調整する。米中のそんな取り組みがあってこそ、６者が会える素地ができる。この戦略にそって日本も、朝鮮半島の緊張緩和に貢献すべきである。