日米韓外相会談 中国と連携し対北圧力強めよ

Nations should present united front on N. Korea
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 9, 2010)
日米韓外相会談　中国と連携し対北圧力強めよ（12月8日付・読売社説）

In dealing with North Korea, an important task for Japan, South Korea and the United States will be to cooperate with China and Russia in rebuilding a framework in which to bring both diplomatic and military pressure to bear on the reclusive state's regime.
　日米韓３か国は今後、中国、ロシアとも連携して北朝鮮包囲網を再構築し、北朝鮮に外交、軍事両面で圧力を強めることが重要となろう。

On Monday, Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and South Korean Foreign and Trade Minister Kim Sung Hwan met in Washington to discuss the North Korean problem. Their joint statement, issued after their talks at the U.S. State Department, condemned North Korea for its recent artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea, while also urging Pyongyang to take specific steps toward scrapping its nuclear weapons program.
　前原外相、クリントン米国務長官、金星煥韓国外交通商相が米国務省で会談し、北朝鮮問題に関する共同声明を発表した。北朝鮮の韓国・延坪(ヨンピョン)島(ド)砲撃を非難するとともに、核放棄に向けた具体的な行動を求めている。

North Korea's artillery shelling, combined with its revelation of new uranium enrichment efforts, has heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Given this, the latest meeting of the three foreign ministers to reconfirm unity among their nations bears a great deal of significance.
　北朝鮮による砲撃とウラン濃縮活動の公表で、朝鮮半島情勢は緊迫している。日米韓の外相が一堂に会し、３か国の結束を確認した意義は小さくない。

The three foreign ministers had good reason when they demanded that North Korea "take concrete steps to demonstrate a genuine commitment to...denuclearization" in exchange for resuming six-party talks over that country's nuclear program. China has called for convening a meeting of the chief negotiators from the six nations.
　３外相が、中国が提案した６か国協議再開の条件として、「非核化に真に取り組んでいることを示す具体的な措置」を北朝鮮が取るよう求めたのは、当然だ。

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An old Pyongyang ploy

North Korea should not be allowed to enjoy impunity after its reckless military action, which even killed and injured South Korean civilians.
　無謀な軍事行動で韓国民間人の犠牲者まで出しながら、何の罰則もなしで済ますべきではない。

It would be unwise to readily respond to an old ploy adopted by North Korea--that is, playing a carefully calibrated game of provocations, including nuclear and missile threats, to coax other nations into diplomatic negotiations and eventually gain a reward in return.
　核やミサイルで挑発し、外交交渉に持ち込んで見返りを得る――そうした北朝鮮の常套(じょうとう)手段に安易に乗るのは禁物だ。

Under the circumstances, it is North Korea--not the other participants in the six-party talks--that should make concessions to defuse a crisis of its own making, despite prospects that the parties will eventually return to the negotiating table at the talks in any case.
いずれは６か国協議を開くとしても、今、歩み寄るべきは北朝鮮である。

China is the key to determining what will evolve from the status quo. Beijing must assume even greater responsibility to fulfill its role as the chair of the six-party negotiations.
　今後のカギは中国だ。６か国協議議長国として、より大きな役割を担わせなければならない。

China's current priority is to ensure North Korea is not provoked, while also wielding a certain degree of clout on the cash-strapped nation through food and energy assistance. However, it will be indispensable for China to persuade North Korea that it must take "concrete steps" to overcome the current gridlock.
　中国は、食糧・エネルギー供給を通じて北朝鮮へ一定の影響力を有しながら、今は北朝鮮を刺激しないことを最優先している。だが、事態の打開には、「具体的な措置」を取るよう中国が真剣に北朝鮮を説得することが不可欠だ。

The meeting of the three foreign ministers was preceded by a telephone conversation between U.S. President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao. Obama reportedly urged the Chinese leader to send North Korea a clear message that acts of provocation will not be tolerated.
　日米韓外相会談に先立ち、オバマ大統領は胡錦濤国家主席に電話し、「北朝鮮に対し、挑発は容認できないとの明確なメッセージを送るよう迫った」という。

Washington is believed to be working in a similar vein behind the scenes, telling Beijing that a planned visit to the United States by the Chinese president in January will not be fruitful unless progress is made in resolving the North Korean problem. It is important for Japan and South Korea to lend the United States a helping hand as it seeks to accomplish the goal.
　米国は水面下でも、「北朝鮮問題が前進しなければ、来年１月の胡主席訪米は成功しない」と中国に強く働きかけているとされる。この動きを、日本と韓国が最大限、側面支援することが大切だ。

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Military readiness a must

No less essential is smooth cooperation among the three nations in dealing with military affairs. On Friday, the Self-Defense Forces commenced an eight-day joint exercise with the U.S. military in waters around this country. The South Korean military has dispatched observers to the Japan-U.S. joint drill, one of the largest of its kind.
　軍事面の日米韓協力も欠かせない。自衛隊と米軍は３日から、日本近海で過去最大規模の共同統合演習を実施中で、韓国軍もオブザーバーを派遣している。

To prevent further acts of provocation by North Korea, it is essential that Japan, the United States and South Korea should build a greater deterrent to the unpredictable country, combined with efforts to ensure their joint actions fully serve their purposes.
　北朝鮮のさらなる軍事的挑発を防ぐには、日米韓３か国の抑止力を高め、その実効性を確保する作業が肝要である。

The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, has started a trip to Japan and South Korea. 　マレン米統合参謀本部議長が日韓両国訪問を開始した。

His visit to Tokyo and Seoul should be used as an initial step toward discussing what specific roles should be played by Japan, South Korea and the United States in coping with possible military contingencies on the peninsula, drawing up and improving a joint operational plan to be implemented in that event--a task that goes beyond joint military exercises.
共同演習にとどまらず、朝鮮半島有事における日米韓の具体的な役割分担を協議し、共同作戦計画を作成・充実させる一歩とすべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 8, 2010)
（2010年12月8日00時57分 読売新聞）