南シナ海―中国は力をたのむな

フィリピンが魚泥棒を取り締まるのは当り前。
尖閣列島沖漁船衝突事故も同じ構図。
中国は数千年の歴史と伝統を誇る大国。
泥棒が英雄になる現在の社会的構図はおかしい。
（スラチャイ）

--The Asahi Shimbun, June 5
EDITORIAL: U.S., China really need to talkPrevious ArticleEDITORIAL: Summit of 2 main parties seems the obvious way to go
南シナ海―中国は力をたのむな

TweetChina, with its growing economic and military might, is becoming more aggressive in asserting its maritime interests in the region.
　経済力とともに軍事力を伸ばす中国が、海洋権益で強い姿勢に出ている。

China needs to stop its saber-rattling and make serious efforts to improve the climate for cool-headed international talks over sensitive issues that involve its neighbors.
力を振りかざすのはやめ、冷静に対話する環境づくりに努めるべきだ。

In recent weeks, tensions have been running high between China and the Philippines over the issue of sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal, a rocky outcrop in the South China Sea.
　南シナ海・スカボロー礁（中国名・黄岩島）で、領有権をめぐり、フィリピンとの緊張が続いている。

The Chinese media increasingly has been arguing for the use of military force to solve the territorial dispute. This view seems to reflect opinions in military circles.
中国では、軍事力行使を求める主張が、軍関係者や当局と結びついたメディアから出ている。

There is a huge gap in the naval power of each country. China has been racing to build up its military might and is now close to deploying its first aircraft carrier, while the Philippines doesn’t even have a vessel armed with missiles.
　軍拡路線をひた走り、空母の正式配備が近づく中国と、ミサイル搭載の艦船も持たないフィリピンの軍事力の差は歴然としている。

However, the Philippines has a mutual defense treaty with the United States. The territorial dispute threatens to escalate into a dangerous confrontation that could involve the United States.
だがフィリピンには米国と結ぶ相互防衛条約がある。このままでは米国も巻き込んだ緊張が高まりかねない。

The waters around the Scarborough Shoal, a triangular chain of rocks and reefs located some 230 kilometers off the western coast of Luzon island in the Philippines, are rich fishing grounds that draw fishermen from a number of countries.
　フィリピンのルソン島から西約２３０キロにあるこの海域は、各国の漁民が入り乱れる漁場だった。

Tensions flared in April after the Philippines sent a frigate to the area to chase off Chinese fishing vessels operating there.
４月にフィリピン海軍の軍艦が中国漁船を取り締まろうとして、対立に火がついた。

Two months on, patrol boats from both countries remain stationed around the shoal in a continuing standoff.
以来２カ月、両国の監視船がにらみあっている。

Beijing’s hard-nosed attitude reflects a growing sense of national greatness among Chinese.
　中国の強硬姿勢の裏にあるのは、大国意識の強まりだ。

“A small country should not at will encroach on (the territory of) or provoke a large country,” China’s vice foreign minister, Fu Ying, wrote in a recent article in Lianhe Zaobao, a major Chinese-language newspaper in Singapore. Although she didn’t name any specific country, she was evidently referring to the Philippines.
　「小国は意のままに大国を侵害したり、挑発したりしてはならない」
　シンガポールの有力中国語紙「聯合早報」に先日、中国の傅瑩（フー・イン）外務次官の投稿が載った。名指しはしていないが、フィリピンを念頭に置いていることは明らかだ。

“A large country doesn’t belittle a small country,” Fu said.
But such remarks inevitably make China’s neighbors jittery.
　「大国は小国を軽視しない」という下りもあったが、これでは周辺の国々が不安を抱くのは無理もない。

If it is a great power, China should act like one and exercise more self-control.
　大国ならば大国らしく、中国は自制を利かせてはどうか。

China’s rise is disturbing the established order in the region. Thus, the presence of U.S. forces is assuming increasing importance as a stabilizing factor.
　中国の台頭で地域の秩序が揺らぎを見せるとき、安定の要素として、これまで以上に重みをますのが、米軍の存在だ。

During a recent international conference held in Singapore, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta outlined Washington’s strategy to expand its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region. The United States will reconfigure its naval forces from a 50-50 split between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans so that 60 percent of the fleet is assigned to the Asia-Pacific region by 2020.
　シンガポールで開かれた国際会議でパネッタ米国防長官は、アジア太平洋に米軍を重点的に配置する方針を示した。太平洋と大西洋に半々で置いていた海軍の兵力を、２０２０年までに６対４の割合に変える。

The Obama administration, under strong political pressure to cut back on its defense spending, is withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and Iraq while placing greater security policy priority on Asia, a region which has massive trade flows with the United States and directly affects the country’s economic fortunes.
　大幅な国防費削減を迫られ、アフガニスタンやイラクから兵力を撤退しつつ、貿易量が多くて米国の繁栄に直結するアジアを重視する。

Washington has made clear the United States has a clear national interest in maintaining the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
　米政府は「南シナ海の航行の自由は米国の国益」との立場をとる。

Any U.S. action that could be construed by Beijing as ganging up on China is bound to cause alarm. Regional tensions will become inflamed if the United States draws its allies into a network to contain China.
ただ、「対中包囲網」の色合いが強まりすぎれば、中国の過度な警戒を呼び起こし、かえって緊張を招きかねない。

The United States and China should take every opportunity to explore ways of working together to build up a new order in the region that provides the necessary reassurance to neighboring countries.
　米中両国は、あらゆる機会をとらえて互いの理解を図り、周辺の国が安心できる秩序を作ることが求められる。

Such efforts would help promote the prosperity of the nations concerned.
それが各国の繁栄につながる。