尖閣国有化方針 政府と都は安定管理へ協調を

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jul. 11, 2012)
Central, Tokyo govts should get in tune over Senkaku Islands
尖閣国有化方針　政府と都は安定管理へ協調を（7月10日付・読売社説）

The inability of the central and Tokyo metropolitan governments to get on the same page will be only to China's advantage. They need to closely cooperate on the Senkaku Islands issue.
　政府と東京都が牽制(けんせい)しあえば、中国を利するだけだ。両者は、緊密に連携する必要がある。

The central government has finally made a concrete move to put the Senkaku Islands under state control.
　政府が、尖閣諸島の国有化に向けて、ようやく具体的に動き始めた。

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has admitted that the government is holding talks with the metropolitan government and the owner of three islands in the five-islet chain. "From the viewpoint of peacefully and stably maintaining and managing [the islands], we've been in contact [with the metropolitan government and others] at various levels," Noda said to the House of Representatives Budget Committee on Monday.
　野田首相は、衆院予算委員会で「平穏かつ安定的に維持・管理する観点で、様々なレベルで接触している」と述べ、都や地権者と協議に入っていることを認めた。

The central government's aspirations of putting the Senkaku Islands under state control will advance efforts to better maintain the territorial integrity and effective control of the islands.
　政府が尖閣諸島の国有化を目指すことは、領土保全、実効支配の強化に向けて前進となる。

The government currently leases the three islands, including Uotsurijima, from the owner and bans people other than government officials from landing on them. However, under individual ownership, through which the islands could be sold to or inherited by a third person, the future of the islands could be unstable.
　政府は魚釣島など３島を地権者から賃借し、政府関係者以外の立ち入りを禁じている。だが、第三者への売却や相続があり得る個人所有では安定的とは言えない。

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China's claim unwarranted

Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara has built up a relationship of trust with the islands' owner. Donations to the Tokyo government to purchase the three islands have topped 1.3 billion yen.
　東京都の石原慎太郎知事は、地権者との一定の信頼関係を築いている。購入費などに充てる予定の都の募金も１３億円を超えた。

Given the recent developments, various options are on the table, including having the metropolitan government buy the three islands and then immediately transfer them to the central government.
　これまでの経緯を考えると、いったん都が購入した後、政府に速やかに譲渡するなど、様々な方法が考えられよう。

Ishihara has expressed distrust of the government's plan to purchase the islands, saying the Noda administration is trying "to gain popularity" and deriding it as "abrupt." However, now is not the time for the central and metropolitan governments to be out of step.
　石原氏は政府の方針に「人気稼ぎだろう」「唐突だ」と不信感を表明したが、政府と都が足並みを乱している場合ではない。

It is essential that the islands be surely placed under state control, regardless of how this is done. The central and metropolitan governments must speed up necessary arrangements to make this happen.
　どのような手順を踏むにせよ、着実に国有化することが肝要である。政府と都の間で調整を急がねばならない。

The Japanese government's plan to place the islands under state control prompted Beijing to issue a statement saying, "No one will ever be permitted to buy and sell China's sacred territory."
　日本政府の国有化方針に対し、中国は「中国の神聖な領土を売買することは絶対許さない」とする談話を発表した。

However, it was only in 1971--after the existence of oil reserves was confirmed near the Senkaku Islands--that China started to claim sovereignty over them.
　だが、中国が領有権を主張し始めたのは、周辺海域での石油埋蔵が判明した後の１９７１年だ。

Japan has been in effective control of the islands since it incorporated them into its territory based on international law in 1895. It is unreasonable of China, which effectively gave tacit approval to Japan's control of the Senkakus, to belatedly claim sovereignty over them.
　日本は１８９５年、国際法に基づき尖閣諸島を領土に編入して、実効支配している。それを事実上黙認していた中国が、後から領有権を主張するのは不当である。

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Strengthen JCG

Chinese fishery patrol boats approach waters around the Senkaku Islands almost monthly and repeatedly make their presence felt.
　中国の漁業監視船は毎月のように尖閣諸島周辺に近づき、示威行為を繰り返している。

Earlier this month, Taiwan patrol vessels and a leisure fishing boat briefly intruded into Japanese territorial waters.
　今月には台湾の巡視船などが日本の領海内に入った。

These provocations will only undermine Japan-China and Japan-Taiwan relations. We strongly urge Beijing and Taipei to exercise self-restraint.
　こうした挑発活動は、日中、日台関係を損なうだけである。強く自制を求めたい。

Even if the government puts the Senkaku Islands under state control in the future, this in itself will not be able to prevent intrusions and other illegal acts.
　この先、日本政府が尖閣諸島を国有化しても、それだけで不法侵入などを防げるわけではない。

It will be necessary to enable Japan Coast Guard officers to apprehend foreign nationals who illegally land on the Senkaku Islands. To do so, the Diet should quickly deliberate a bill to revise the Japan Coast Guard Law.
　不法上陸した外国人を海上保安官が検挙できるようにする必要がある。そのための海上保安庁法改正案の国会審議を急ぐべきだ。

Also, the JCG must be strengthened in terms of manpower and the quality of its equipment, through such measures as deploying a large patrol vessel that will enable long-term monitoring of waters around the Senkaku Islands and increasing the number of JCG officers.
　尖閣諸島周辺で長期間の監視活動ができるような大型巡視船の配備や、保安官の増員など、質と量の両面から海保の体制強化も図らなければならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 10, 2012)
（2012年7月10日01時35分 読売新聞）