尖閣国有１か月 長期化する対日圧力に備えよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Oct. 12, 2012)
Prepare for prolonged pressure from China over Senkakus
尖閣国有１か月　長期化する対日圧力に備えよ（10月11日付・読売社説）

One month has passed since the government put three of the Senkaku Islands under state control. There is no sign that China's pressure on Japan will wane. The government should make necessary preparations on the assumption that the confrontation over the islands will lengthen.
　尖閣諸島の国有化から１か月経過した。中国の対日圧力は弱まる気配がない。政府は対立の長期化を前提に、体制を整えるべきである。

China decided not to send its finance minister or the governor of the People's Bank of China to the plenary session of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, which are scheduled to open in Tokyo on Friday. The decision apparently aims at demonstrating to the world its protest against Japan over the Senkaku issue.
　中国は、東京で１２日に開幕する国際通貨基金（ＩＭＦ）・世界銀行総会への財務相と中国人民銀行総裁の出席を見送った。尖閣問題で日本への抗議の意思をアピールするのが狙いだろう。

The world's second-largest economy is behaving as if it is showing little regard for a venue for the discussion of global economic issues. Such an attitude will never win the understanding of the international community.
　世界２位の経済大国が、グローバルな経済問題を協議する場を軽視するかのように振る舞う。国際社会の理解は得られまい。

Following anti-Japan demonstrations that spread across China, the Chinese government allowed people to stage a campaign to boycott Japanese products. Unit sales of Japanese carmakers, including Toyota Motor Corp., substantially dropped in China in September. Adverse impacts on Japanese companies' business are spreading.
　一時拡大した反日デモに続き、中国政府は日本製品の不買運動も容認した。トヨタ自動車など日系自動車メーカーの９月の販売台数は大幅に減った。日本企業のビジネスに悪影響が広がっている。

Also, many Chinese tourists have canceled visits to Japan, dealing a serious blow to airline companies and the tourism industry.
　観光客の訪日中止などで航空会社や観光業への打撃も大きい。

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Avoid risky compromise

Under tangible and intangible pressure from China, Japanese business circles are asking the government to quickly resolve the situation. Referring to Japan's diplomacy toward China, Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said, "We can't concede what we can't concede, but we want to explore what is possible."
　中国による有形無形の圧力を受け、日本の経済界は、政府に事態の早期打開を求めている。玄葉外相も対中外交に関して、「譲れないものは譲れないが、何が可能か模索したい」と述べた。

However, the government must not improvise its policies on the fly.
　ただし、拙速は禁物だ。

If the government easily compromises on the issue, Japan's sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands itself could be put in danger.
　安易に妥協すれば、尖閣諸島に関する日本の主権そのものが危うくなりかねない。

For years, China has made it a national policy to expand its territorial and maritime interests. Its goal for the time being is that Japan admit the existence of a territorial dispute over the islets and agree to sit at the negotiating table to discuss it. Beijing is expected to relentlessly apply pressure by various means until it extracts concessions from Japan.
　中国は長年、領土・海洋権益の拡大を国策としてきた。当面の目標は、日本が領有権問題を認め、領土を巡る交渉に応じることである。日本の譲歩を引き出すまで、執拗(しつよう)に、様々な圧力をかけてくるだろう。

However, the amount of international trust that China will lose by unilaterally continuing its diplomacy of pressure against Japan must be substantial.
　だが、中国が一方的な圧力外交を続けることで失う国際的な信用も大きいはずだ。

The government has unofficially decided to appoint Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary Masato Kitera as the new ambassador to China to succeed Shinichi Nishimiya, who died before leaving for China to start his official duties as envoy. We urge the government to use the replacement of the ambassador to China as an opportunity to carefully seek common ground between Tokyo and Beijing.
　政府は、赴任前に死去した西宮伸一中国大使の後任に木寺昌人官房副長官補を内定している。大使交代を契機に、日中双方の接点を慎重に探ってもらいたい。

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China held at bay for now

China is continuing to make its presence felt by sending surveillance ships to waters near the Senkaku Islands.
　尖閣諸島近海で、中国は監視船による示威行動を続けている。

However, Beijing has refrained from taking any action that could further escalate tension. This must be linked to recent moves the United States took to keep Chinese forces in check, such as dispatching two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Western Pacific and showing the news media a joint landing exercise by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Ground Self-Defense Force in Guam last month.
　ただ、緊張感をエスカレートさせる行為は控えている。米国が先月、西太平洋に二つの空母部隊を派遣したり、グアムでの米海兵隊と陸上自衛隊の上陸訓練を公開したりするなど、中国軍をけん制したことと無縁ではあるまい。

It is clear that the Japan-U.S. alliance is functioning to deter China's provocation.
　日米同盟が中国の挑発を抑止していることは明らかである。

The Japan Coast Guard, meanwhile, is forced to engage in vigilance and surveillance activities on a 24-hour basis. It has sent its patrol ships and boats from across the country to areas around the Senkaku Islands.
　海上保安庁は、全国の巡視船艇をやり繰りして尖閣周辺海域に派遣し、２４時間態勢の警戒監視活動を余儀なくされている。

As long as it is necessary to maintain this preparedness for the long term, the government must take all possible measures, such as securing the necessary number of JCG personnel.
　こうした態勢を長期間堅持する必要がある以上、政府は、要員の確保などに万全の策を講じなければならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 11, 2012)
（2012年10月11日01時27分  読売新聞）