The Yomiuri Shimbun March 05, 2014
Press China to take measures against its horrendous pollution
ＰＭ２・５汚染 中国の排出源対策が急務だ（3月5日付・読売社説）
Air pollution is becoming ever more serious in China. It is mainly caused by a high density of particulate matter 2.5, or PM2.5, which is apparently reaching Japan on a massive scale after sweeping over the sea.
中国で大気汚染が深刻の度を増している。主因の微小粒子状物質（ＰＭ２・５）は、海を越えて日本にも大量に飛散しているとみられる。
Immediate measures must be taken to curb PM2.5. There is no time to waste.
ＰＭ２・５の発生を抑える対策は待ったなしである。
PM2.5 is the general term for the microparticle substances with a diameter of up to 2.5 micrometers (one micrometer is equivalent to one-thousandth of a millimeter). Their size is about one-tenth that of a grain of Japanese cedar pollen, and they can travel deep into the lungs once inhaled. Experts say that PM2.5 causes such diseases as asthma and bronchitis.
ＰＭ２・５は、直径２・５マイクロ・メートル（１マイクロ・メートルは１０００分の１ミリ）以下の物質の総称だ。スギ花粉の１０分の１ほどの粒子で、吸い込むと肺の奥まで入りやすい。ぜんそくや気管支炎などの原因になるとも指摘される。
At one point on Feb. 26, the concentration of PM2.5 exceeded 500 micrograms per cubic meter of air in Beijing. In Japan, local governments issue alerts to the public if the daily average amount of PM2.5 exceeds 70 micrograms per cubic meter. Beijing’s figure shows how serious China’s air pollution has become.
北京市では２月２６日、ＰＭ２・５の大気中濃度が、１立方メートル当たり５００マイクロ・グラムを超えた。日本国内で自治体が住民に注意喚起をする濃度は７０マイクロ・グラムだ。中国の汚染の深刻さが分かる。
The Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, a public research organization, has warned that Beijing’s pollution is “approaching a level unsuitable for inhabitation.” Air pollution is also becoming acute in cities and regions other than Beijing.
公的研究機関の上海社会科学院は、北京の状況について、「居住に適さないレベルに近づいている」と警告した。北京以外の地域でも汚染が悪化している。
The rapid increase of PM2.5 is caused by soot produced when burning coal, as well as vehicle emissions. Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled around smog-covered Beijing and ordered factories to curb their use of coal. Xi also ordered regulations for car usage.
ＰＭ２・５急増の原因は、石炭を燃やす際に生じる煤煙(ばいえん)や自動車の排ガスだ。習近平国家主席は先月、濃霧の北京市内を視察し、工場での石炭使用の抑制や自動車の利用規制などを指示した。
Ineffective measures
The Chinese government has periodically announced measures to tackle air pollution, but no significant improvement has been seen. We believe the reason for this is that many factories have ignored government regulations, putting short-term profits ahead of environmental issues.
中国政府はこれまでも、大気汚染対策の実施を表明してきたが、大きな改善はみられない。多くの生産現場が、環境問題よりも目先の利益を優先し、規制を無視してきたということだろう。
The National People’s Congress was set to convene Wednesday, and air pollution is likely to be one of the main issues on the agenda. We urge the Chinese government to take this opportunity to come up with comprehensive measures to deal with the problem.
５日に開幕する全国人民代表大会では、大気汚染問題も重要テーマになる見通しだ。抜本対策に着手する契機としてもらいたい。
From now on, Japan and South Korea will have to bear the full brunt of PM2.5 sweeping from China as westerly winds become stronger.
日本や韓国が中国からのＰＭ２・５の影響をもろに受けるのは、偏西風が強まるこれからの時期だ。
On Feb. 26, the day China’s PM2.5 concentration exceeded 500 micrograms per cubic meter, the particulate concentration rose in wide areas of western Japan and the Hokuriku region, prompting 10 prefectural governments to issue alerts.
北京の汚染濃度が５００マイクロ・グラムを記録した同じ日、西日本と北陸などで濃度が上昇し、１０府県が住民に注意を促した。
Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara said the main cause of the phenomenon was “transborder pollution caused by China.”
石原環境相は、主な要因に「中国からの越境汚染」を挙げた。
It will be crucial for the Environment Ministry and local governments to continue providing prompt detailed information on PM2.5 to the public.
環境省と各自治体は今後とも、住民にきめ細かい情報を迅速に提供していくことが重要だ。
Of course, the issuance of alerts does not mean that people are under immediate threat to their health. We urge people to act calmly, refrain from going out unless necessary and avoid opening windows or using ventilators.
注意喚起がなされたからといって、直ちに健康被害の危険があるわけではない。不要不急の外出を控える。窓の開閉や換気は最小限にとどめる――。住民は冷静な対応を心がけてほしい。
People who have respiratory or heart problems, as well as elderly people, should especially be careful of their health. The physical conditions of children should also be monitored frequently.
呼吸器や心臓に病気がある人や高齢者、子供の体調管理には、十分に留意せねばならない。
This month, officials from Japan, China and South Korea will hold a policy dialogue to discuss measures to deal with the PM2.5 problem in Beijing. It will be an important opportunity to share PM2.5 data, but it is also essential to pressure China to reinforce measures to curb emissions of the microparticle substances.
日中韓の担当者は今月、ＰＭ２・５対策を協議する政策対話を北京で行う。観測情報を共有するほか、中国に対し、排出抑制策の強化を求めることが肝要だ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 5, 2014)
（2014年3月5日01時29分 読売新聞）
2014/03/07
2014/03/06
「アンネの日記」 「知の遺産」に対する蛮行だ
The Yomiuri Shimbun March 04, 2014
Vandalism of Anne Frank books a blow against intellectual heritage
「アンネの日記」 「知の遺産」に対する蛮行だ（3月4日付・読売社説）
Who was behind the many recent acts of vandalism against books relating to Anne Frank, and why did they do it? This sort of criminality can never be pardoned.
誰がどのような目的で行ったのか。許すことのできない蛮行である。
At public libraries and bookstores in and outside of Tokyo, Japanese-language copies of “The Diary of a Young Girl,” which tells of Nazi Germany’s persecution of the Jewish people, and related books have been found vandalized with pages ripped out. All told, the number of books damaged exceeded 300.
東京都内などの図書館や書店で、ナチス・ドイツによるユダヤ人への迫害を伝える「アンネの日記」や関連書籍が破られる事件が相次いでいる。被害を受けた本は、３００冊を超える。
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga expressed strong displeasure over the incidents, saying, “Such acts are shameful and can never be pardoned in this country.” It was a natural reaction.
菅官房長官が「わが国として受け入れられるものではなく、恥ずべきこと」と、強い不快感を示したのは当然である。
The Metropolitan Police Department has established an investigation headquarters, a rare move in property damage cases, as it works to find the culprit.
警視庁は器物損壊事件として異例の捜査本部を設置し、犯人の割り出しを急いでいる。
This vandalism cannot be shrugged off as simple property damage. This crime could trample on the efforts of many men and women who have looked squarely at history and fought against discrimination based on prejudice.
一連の事件は、単なる器物損壊では片づけられない。歴史の汚点を直視し、偏見に基づく差別を克服しようとしてきた人類の努力を踏みにじる行為だからだ。
“The Diary of a Young Girl” is a notebook left behind by Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who lived with her family in a hidden room of a house in the Netherlands to evade being detected and forcibly relocated by the Nazis during World War II. The diary expresses her anxieties and fears as well as hope for the future.
「アンネの日記」は、第２次大戦下のオランダで、ナチスの強制連行から逃れるため、家族と共に隠れ家で生活したユダヤ人少女、アンネ・フランクが残した手記だ。不安、恐怖と共に未来への希望がつづられている。
The Japanese translation of the diary has been read for generations. The original diary was registered as a Memory of the World in 2009.
日本でも多くの人々に読み継がれてきた。２００９年には世界記憶遺産にも登録された。
Other books damaged in the incidents include materials relating to Chiune Sugihara, who served as Japan’s vice consul in Lithuania during World War II. Sugihara is remembered for his act of conscience, issuing transit visas to Japan to 6,000 Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis.
「アンネの日記」のほか、第２次大戦中、駐リトアニア領事代理だった杉原千畝の関連書籍なども被害を受けた。杉原は、ナチスから逃れたユダヤ人難民６０００人に自らの判断で日本通過のビザを発給したことで知られる。
An organized act?
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organization in the United States, has expressed deep concern over the incidents. The organization suspects that the vandalism was committed by “an organized effort to denigrate the memory” of Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
事件について、米国のユダヤ系人権団体「サイモン・ウィーゼンタール・センター」は「深い懸念」を表明した。虐殺犠牲者の記憶を侮辱する組織的試みがあるのではないか、とも指摘している。
One matter of concern is whether these incidents will fuel the spread of mistaken perceptions of Japan around the world.
日本に対する誤った認識が世界に広がらないか、心配だ。
Some media outlets in the United States and South Korea have reported on the incidents, connecting them to a purported rightward shift in Japan. Their arguments miss the mark, because they draw mainly on discourse from an extremely limited number of Internet posts expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler.
米国や韓国などの一部メディアは、「日本の右傾化」と関連づけて報じている。ヒトラーを礼賛するような、ネット上の極めて限られた言説などを根拠としているが、的外れな論調である。
Japan has never engaged in anti-Semitism, even during the prewar period.
日本は、戦前も含め、反ユダヤ政策に同調したことはない。
The Israeli Embassy in Tokyo has received many phone calls and e-mails of apology and encouragement from the Japanese people.
在日イスラエル大使館には、日本国民から謝罪や励ましの電話、メールが多数寄せられている。
The embassy expressed gratitude for these sentiments, calling the damage to the books sad, adding that they had also received warm words of support from the Japanese people. The embassy also donated more than 300 copies of Anne Frank-related books to the libraries affected by the vandalism.
大使館でも「被害は悲しいが、日本のみなさんから温かく励ましの言葉をもらった」と感謝の意を表し、被害を受けた図書館に約３００冊の本を寄贈した。
Libraries are tasked with providing intellectual wealth to the people. As a defensive measure, Tokyo libraries have begun putting Anne Frank-related books on shelves within sight of library staff. We hope to see an early resolution to this shameful vandalism.
図書館は、知の資産を市民に提供する場である。都内の図書館では、自衛策として関連図書を職員の目が届く場所に置いている。事件の早期解決を望みたい。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 4, 2014)
（2014年3月4日01時54分 読売新聞）
Vandalism of Anne Frank books a blow against intellectual heritage
「アンネの日記」 「知の遺産」に対する蛮行だ（3月4日付・読売社説）
Who was behind the many recent acts of vandalism against books relating to Anne Frank, and why did they do it? This sort of criminality can never be pardoned.
誰がどのような目的で行ったのか。許すことのできない蛮行である。
At public libraries and bookstores in and outside of Tokyo, Japanese-language copies of “The Diary of a Young Girl,” which tells of Nazi Germany’s persecution of the Jewish people, and related books have been found vandalized with pages ripped out. All told, the number of books damaged exceeded 300.
東京都内などの図書館や書店で、ナチス・ドイツによるユダヤ人への迫害を伝える「アンネの日記」や関連書籍が破られる事件が相次いでいる。被害を受けた本は、３００冊を超える。
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga expressed strong displeasure over the incidents, saying, “Such acts are shameful and can never be pardoned in this country.” It was a natural reaction.
菅官房長官が「わが国として受け入れられるものではなく、恥ずべきこと」と、強い不快感を示したのは当然である。
The Metropolitan Police Department has established an investigation headquarters, a rare move in property damage cases, as it works to find the culprit.
警視庁は器物損壊事件として異例の捜査本部を設置し、犯人の割り出しを急いでいる。
This vandalism cannot be shrugged off as simple property damage. This crime could trample on the efforts of many men and women who have looked squarely at history and fought against discrimination based on prejudice.
一連の事件は、単なる器物損壊では片づけられない。歴史の汚点を直視し、偏見に基づく差別を克服しようとしてきた人類の努力を踏みにじる行為だからだ。
“The Diary of a Young Girl” is a notebook left behind by Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who lived with her family in a hidden room of a house in the Netherlands to evade being detected and forcibly relocated by the Nazis during World War II. The diary expresses her anxieties and fears as well as hope for the future.
「アンネの日記」は、第２次大戦下のオランダで、ナチスの強制連行から逃れるため、家族と共に隠れ家で生活したユダヤ人少女、アンネ・フランクが残した手記だ。不安、恐怖と共に未来への希望がつづられている。
The Japanese translation of the diary has been read for generations. The original diary was registered as a Memory of the World in 2009.
日本でも多くの人々に読み継がれてきた。２００９年には世界記憶遺産にも登録された。
Other books damaged in the incidents include materials relating to Chiune Sugihara, who served as Japan’s vice consul in Lithuania during World War II. Sugihara is remembered for his act of conscience, issuing transit visas to Japan to 6,000 Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis.
「アンネの日記」のほか、第２次大戦中、駐リトアニア領事代理だった杉原千畝の関連書籍なども被害を受けた。杉原は、ナチスから逃れたユダヤ人難民６０００人に自らの判断で日本通過のビザを発給したことで知られる。
An organized act?
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organization in the United States, has expressed deep concern over the incidents. The organization suspects that the vandalism was committed by “an organized effort to denigrate the memory” of Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
事件について、米国のユダヤ系人権団体「サイモン・ウィーゼンタール・センター」は「深い懸念」を表明した。虐殺犠牲者の記憶を侮辱する組織的試みがあるのではないか、とも指摘している。
One matter of concern is whether these incidents will fuel the spread of mistaken perceptions of Japan around the world.
日本に対する誤った認識が世界に広がらないか、心配だ。
Some media outlets in the United States and South Korea have reported on the incidents, connecting them to a purported rightward shift in Japan. Their arguments miss the mark, because they draw mainly on discourse from an extremely limited number of Internet posts expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler.
米国や韓国などの一部メディアは、「日本の右傾化」と関連づけて報じている。ヒトラーを礼賛するような、ネット上の極めて限られた言説などを根拠としているが、的外れな論調である。
Japan has never engaged in anti-Semitism, even during the prewar period.
日本は、戦前も含め、反ユダヤ政策に同調したことはない。
The Israeli Embassy in Tokyo has received many phone calls and e-mails of apology and encouragement from the Japanese people.
在日イスラエル大使館には、日本国民から謝罪や励ましの電話、メールが多数寄せられている。
The embassy expressed gratitude for these sentiments, calling the damage to the books sad, adding that they had also received warm words of support from the Japanese people. The embassy also donated more than 300 copies of Anne Frank-related books to the libraries affected by the vandalism.
大使館でも「被害は悲しいが、日本のみなさんから温かく励ましの言葉をもらった」と感謝の意を表し、被害を受けた図書館に約３００冊の本を寄贈した。
Libraries are tasked with providing intellectual wealth to the people. As a defensive measure, Tokyo libraries have begun putting Anne Frank-related books on shelves within sight of library staff. We hope to see an early resolution to this shameful vandalism.
図書館は、知の資産を市民に提供する場である。都内の図書館では、自衛策として関連図書を職員の目が届く場所に置いている。事件の早期解決を望みたい。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 4, 2014)
（2014年3月4日01時54分 読売新聞）
2014/03/05
ウクライナ危機 露の軍事介入は容認できない
The Yomiuri Shimbun March 03, 2014
Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine is absolutely unacceptable
ウクライナ危機 露の軍事介入は容認できない（3月3日付・読売社説）
The situation in Ukraine has become increasingly tense. There are absolutely no circumstances under which Russia should be allowed to conduct a military intervention in Ukraine.
ウクライナ情勢が緊迫の度を増してきた。ロシアの軍事介入は到底認められない。
Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted a motion Saturday to the upper house of Russia’s parliament to exercise Moscow’s military might in the territory of Ukraine, and obtained the permission of the legislature.
ロシアのプーチン大統領は、ウクライナ領内で軍事力を行使することを上院に提案し、承認を得た。
In seeking parliamentary approval, Putin insisted the plan to send military forces is aimed at “protecting the lives of Russian citizens and military personnel” amid political turmoil until Ukraine is stabilized.
政治が正常化するまで、「ロシアの国民・同胞、ロシア軍要員の安全を守る」のが目的だという。
There are certainly many Russian-speaking residents in Ukraine, which was part of the former Soviet Union. What Russia likely aims to do, however, is put pressure on Ukraine’s new government, which is friendly to the United States and European countries and came into being by ousting a pro-Russia president, with a view to keeping Ukraine in Russia’s sphere of influence.
旧ソ連の一部だったウクライナにロシア系住民が多いのは確かだ。だが、ロシアの狙いは、親露派の大統領を解任して誕生した親欧米政権に圧力をかけて、ウクライナをロシアの勢力圏につなぎとめておくことではないか。
Russia’s military intervention plans target the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in southern Ukraine.
ロシアが、軍事介入の準備を進めているのは、ウクライナ南部のクリミア自治共和国だ。
In the Crimea region, residents who identify as Russian account for about 60 percent of the population. The president of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is friendly to the Russian Federation, and some residents have repeatedly called for Crimea to break off from Ukraine.
クリミアはロシア系住民が全体の約６割を占める。自治共和国首相も親露派で、住民の間からウクライナからの分離を求める声がかねて上がっていた。
Russia has its key Black Sea Fleet stationed in a naval port on the Black Sea. An airport and other installations in the port’s vicinity have already been seized by Russian troops.
黒海沿いの軍港にはロシアの黒海艦隊が駐留している。空港などは既にロシア軍兵士によって占拠されている。
Avoid chaos, bloodshed
Should Russia resort to a full-scale military intervention, it would certainly have an impact not only on Crimea but also the entire eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, where many Russians live. Demands from separatists in those areas would intensify all the more, aggravating the chaos.
ロシアが本格的な軍事介入に踏み切れば、クリミアだけでなく、ロシア系住民の多い東部や南部全体に影響が及ぶのは確実だ。住民の分離要求は一層激しくなり、混乱は拡大しよう。
There are even concerns that the western region of Ukraine, which has tilted in favor of Europe, and the country’s pro-Russia eastern and southern regions could possibly move toward a split.
親欧州的傾向の強い西部と親露的傾向が強い東部・南部が分裂に向かう可能性すら懸念される。
In 2008, Russia made military inroads into Georgia, whose administration was also friendly to the United States and Europe, under the claim of protecting Russian nationals, incurring condemnation from the international community. Moscow must never repeat the same mistake.
ロシアは２００８年に、ウクライナ同様の親欧米政権だったグルジアに自国民保護の名目で武力侵攻し、国際的非難を浴びた。同じ過ちを繰り返してはならない。
It is essential for the international community to step up efforts to ensure that Putin stops short of engaging in military intervention.
国際社会が、軍事介入を思いとどまるよう、プーチン氏への働きかけを強めることが肝要だ。
U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with Putin by telephone on Saturday, expressing his “deep concern” about Russia’s behavior, which he called a “violation of international law.” Although Obama subsequently called for Russia to pull its troops out of Crimea, the talks ended inconclusively.
米国のオバマ大統領は、電話会談で、プーチン氏に対し、ロシアの行動は「国際法違反だ」として「深い懸念」を表明した。その上で、露軍兵士を撤収させるよう求めたが、物別れに終わった。
An emergency session of the U.N. Security Council was convened on Saturday, during which Russia was strongly criticized by ambassadors of various countries.
国連安全保障理事会でも緊急会合が開かれ、各国大使からロシアへの強い非難が相次いだ。
The United States and Canada have indicated they are poised to boycott Moscow’s plans to host a Group of Eight economic summit scheduled for June at Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi if Russia intervenes militarily in Ukraine.
米国やカナダは、軍事介入があれば、６月にロシアのソチで行われる主要８か国首脳会議（Ｇ８サミット）をボイコットする構えだ。
The government must carefully consider how to respond to the situation.
日本政府の対応も問われよう。
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida has made a statement on the matter, calling on all parties involved in the situation in Crimea to “exercise maximum restraint and act responsibly by respecting the rule of law and the territorial integrity” of Ukraine.
岸田外相は、「全ての当事者が法の支配と領土の一体性を尊重し、最大限の自制を発揮するよう求める」との談話を発表した。
Putin is strongly urged to listen to voices from the international community and do his utmost to avoid the chaos and bloodshed that could be brought about by military intervention.
プーチン氏は、国際社会の声に耳を傾け、軍事介入がもたらす混乱と流血を回避すべきである。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 3, 2014)
（2014年3月3日02時12分 読売新聞）
Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine is absolutely unacceptable
ウクライナ危機 露の軍事介入は容認できない（3月3日付・読売社説）
The situation in Ukraine has become increasingly tense. There are absolutely no circumstances under which Russia should be allowed to conduct a military intervention in Ukraine.
ウクライナ情勢が緊迫の度を増してきた。ロシアの軍事介入は到底認められない。
Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted a motion Saturday to the upper house of Russia’s parliament to exercise Moscow’s military might in the territory of Ukraine, and obtained the permission of the legislature.
ロシアのプーチン大統領は、ウクライナ領内で軍事力を行使することを上院に提案し、承認を得た。
In seeking parliamentary approval, Putin insisted the plan to send military forces is aimed at “protecting the lives of Russian citizens and military personnel” amid political turmoil until Ukraine is stabilized.
政治が正常化するまで、「ロシアの国民・同胞、ロシア軍要員の安全を守る」のが目的だという。
There are certainly many Russian-speaking residents in Ukraine, which was part of the former Soviet Union. What Russia likely aims to do, however, is put pressure on Ukraine’s new government, which is friendly to the United States and European countries and came into being by ousting a pro-Russia president, with a view to keeping Ukraine in Russia’s sphere of influence.
旧ソ連の一部だったウクライナにロシア系住民が多いのは確かだ。だが、ロシアの狙いは、親露派の大統領を解任して誕生した親欧米政権に圧力をかけて、ウクライナをロシアの勢力圏につなぎとめておくことではないか。
Russia’s military intervention plans target the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in southern Ukraine.
ロシアが、軍事介入の準備を進めているのは、ウクライナ南部のクリミア自治共和国だ。
In the Crimea region, residents who identify as Russian account for about 60 percent of the population. The president of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is friendly to the Russian Federation, and some residents have repeatedly called for Crimea to break off from Ukraine.
クリミアはロシア系住民が全体の約６割を占める。自治共和国首相も親露派で、住民の間からウクライナからの分離を求める声がかねて上がっていた。
Russia has its key Black Sea Fleet stationed in a naval port on the Black Sea. An airport and other installations in the port’s vicinity have already been seized by Russian troops.
黒海沿いの軍港にはロシアの黒海艦隊が駐留している。空港などは既にロシア軍兵士によって占拠されている。
Avoid chaos, bloodshed
Should Russia resort to a full-scale military intervention, it would certainly have an impact not only on Crimea but also the entire eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, where many Russians live. Demands from separatists in those areas would intensify all the more, aggravating the chaos.
ロシアが本格的な軍事介入に踏み切れば、クリミアだけでなく、ロシア系住民の多い東部や南部全体に影響が及ぶのは確実だ。住民の分離要求は一層激しくなり、混乱は拡大しよう。
There are even concerns that the western region of Ukraine, which has tilted in favor of Europe, and the country’s pro-Russia eastern and southern regions could possibly move toward a split.
親欧州的傾向の強い西部と親露的傾向が強い東部・南部が分裂に向かう可能性すら懸念される。
In 2008, Russia made military inroads into Georgia, whose administration was also friendly to the United States and Europe, under the claim of protecting Russian nationals, incurring condemnation from the international community. Moscow must never repeat the same mistake.
ロシアは２００８年に、ウクライナ同様の親欧米政権だったグルジアに自国民保護の名目で武力侵攻し、国際的非難を浴びた。同じ過ちを繰り返してはならない。
It is essential for the international community to step up efforts to ensure that Putin stops short of engaging in military intervention.
国際社会が、軍事介入を思いとどまるよう、プーチン氏への働きかけを強めることが肝要だ。
U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with Putin by telephone on Saturday, expressing his “deep concern” about Russia’s behavior, which he called a “violation of international law.” Although Obama subsequently called for Russia to pull its troops out of Crimea, the talks ended inconclusively.
米国のオバマ大統領は、電話会談で、プーチン氏に対し、ロシアの行動は「国際法違反だ」として「深い懸念」を表明した。その上で、露軍兵士を撤収させるよう求めたが、物別れに終わった。
An emergency session of the U.N. Security Council was convened on Saturday, during which Russia was strongly criticized by ambassadors of various countries.
国連安全保障理事会でも緊急会合が開かれ、各国大使からロシアへの強い非難が相次いだ。
The United States and Canada have indicated they are poised to boycott Moscow’s plans to host a Group of Eight economic summit scheduled for June at Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi if Russia intervenes militarily in Ukraine.
米国やカナダは、軍事介入があれば、６月にロシアのソチで行われる主要８か国首脳会議（Ｇ８サミット）をボイコットする構えだ。
The government must carefully consider how to respond to the situation.
日本政府の対応も問われよう。
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida has made a statement on the matter, calling on all parties involved in the situation in Crimea to “exercise maximum restraint and act responsibly by respecting the rule of law and the territorial integrity” of Ukraine.
岸田外相は、「全ての当事者が法の支配と領土の一体性を尊重し、最大限の自制を発揮するよう求める」との談話を発表した。
Putin is strongly urged to listen to voices from the international community and do his utmost to avoid the chaos and bloodshed that could be brought about by military intervention.
プーチン氏は、国際社会の声に耳を傾け、軍事介入がもたらす混乱と流血を回避すべきである。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 3, 2014)
（2014年3月3日02時12分 読売新聞）
2014/03/04
ビットコイン 仮想通貨の危うさが見えた
The Yomiuri Shimbun March 02, 2014
Bitcoin exchange collapse highlights virtual currency’s lack of protection
ビットコイン 仮想通貨の危うさが見えた（3月2日付・読売社説）
Risks involving the bitcoin virtual currency, which is traded on the Internet but lacks state-backed credibility, has been thrown into the spotlight.
国の信用という裏付けを持たない「仮想通貨」の危うさをさらけ出したと言えよう。
Mt. Gox, the operator of a major bitcoin exchange based in Tokyo, has gone bankrupt.
インターネット上の仮想通貨「ビットコイン（ＢＴＣ）」の大手取引サイトを運営するマウントゴックス社（東京）が、経営破綻した。
Almost all bitcoins belonging to Mt. Gox’s customers are presumed to have been fraudulently withdrawn by some unknown person or persons, resulting in an excess of liabilities over assets, the exchange said. The damage is said to total about 850,000 bitcoins (equivalent to about ¥11.4 billion), including Mt. Gox’s own store of the virtual currency.
利用者から預かっていたビットコインが、何者かによって不正に引き出され、債務超過に陥ったためとしている。被害は同社の保有分も含め８５万ＢＴＣ（約１１４億円）にのぼるという。
We are astounded that such a huge sum of bitcoins has vanished like a puff of smoke.
巨額のコインが煙のように消えてしまったのが事実とすれば、驚きを禁じ得ない。
The exchange operator said a hacker or hackers exploited vulnerabilities in the firm’s software system. It said there is a great possibility the bitcoins were stolen.
同社はシステム上の弱点をハッカーに突かれ、コインを奪われた可能性が高いと説明している。
Mt. Gox’s explanations are highly suspicious, such as its argument that as much as ¥2.8 billion in cash deposited by its customers has also disappeared. Thorough investigations must be carried out to clarify what happened.
だが、顧客から預かった現金２８億円も消えるなど不可解な点は残る。徹底した実態解明が必要だ。
Bitcoins are useful as they can be transacted freely around the world via the Internet, and are not subject to control by any country. However, unlike ordinary currency, bitcoins are unprotected because they are not regulated by any monetary authority. It seems that no measures can be taken that would help the firm’s customers recover their money.
ビットコインは国家の統制を受けず、世界で自由に取引できる利点がある。一方、通常のお金と違い、どの国の金融当局からも規制を受けず、保護の枠外にある。被害の救済は困難だろう。
Even in the United States, where the use of bitcoins has been rapidly spreading, Federal Reserve Board Chairwoman Janet Yellen said in testimony before the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday, “This is a payment innovation that’s taking place entirely outside the banking industry.”
普及の進む米国でさえ、米連邦準備制度理事会（ＦＲＢ）のイエレン議長がビットコインを巡る混乱について「銀行決済の枠外で起きている。
She said the Fed lacks the ability to supervise and regulate exchanges between bitcoins and banks as “there is no intersection at all, in any way.”
ＦＲＢに監督や規制の権限がない」と述べている。
Act responsibly amid risk
The value of bitcoins soared sharply last year, with the outstanding balance at one time exceeding an equivalent of ¥1 trillion in the global virtual currency community.
ビットコインは昨年、価格が急騰して、一時は全世界で１兆円超の残高に膨らんだ。
With increasing fears over possible erratic fluctuations of bitcoins, along with warnings from analysts pointing to potential money-laundering and other criminal uses of virtual currency, the Bank of Japan has been researching and investigating bitcoin exchange services.
乱高下への警戒感が強まり、資金洗浄など犯罪への悪用といった弊害も指摘されたことから、日銀は調査・研究を進めていた。
Most victims of the bitcoin scandal are believed to be non-Japanese, but as the website of the Tokyo-based bitcoin exchange operator is at the center of the trouble, both the government and the central bank will probably have to deal with the issue in earnest.
被害を受けた利用者のほとんどは外国人と見られるが、東京に拠点のある業者の取引サイトが問題を起こした以上、政府と日銀も対応に本腰を入れざるを得まい。
Finance Minister Taro Aso, who is also in charge of financial services, said Friday, “I was thinking it [Mt. Gox] would collapse eventually...but it came earlier than I thought, and we will take prompt [countermeasures].” The government should waste no time in preventing a recurrence of bitcoin irregularities, and regulate the virtual currency in close cooperation with other countries concerned.
麻生財務・金融相は「どこかで破綻すると思っていたが、意外に早かった。早急に（対策を）詰める」との考えを示した。関係国と緊密に連携し、再発防止策や規制に関する検討を急ぐべきだ。
Despite the collapse of the major bitcoin exchange, transactions using the digital currency are continuing on the Internet. This is largely because bitcoins allow users to make remittances globally for small fees.
大手取引サイトが破綻したというのに、ネット上ではビットコインの取引が続いている。安い手数料で全世界に送金できるといったメリットがあるからだろう。
There are fears, however, that other malicious hackers are waiting in the wings to find the next bitcoin target. Bitcoin exchange services operators are strongly urged to take stringent steps to guard against unauthorized access to their computer systems.
ただし、悪質なハッカーが、次の標的を狙っている恐れがある。ビットコインのサービスを提供する業者は、不正アクセスの防護などを徹底する責務がある。
Bitcoin users, for their part, should be aware that the virtual currency has no guarantee and protection based on public credibility, so they should act responsibly.
利用者も、公的な信用の裏付けや保護のない現状をきちんと理解し、自己責任を肝に銘じてもらわなければならない。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 2, 2014)
（2014年3月2日01時33分 読売新聞）
Bitcoin exchange collapse highlights virtual currency’s lack of protection
ビットコイン 仮想通貨の危うさが見えた（3月2日付・読売社説）
Risks involving the bitcoin virtual currency, which is traded on the Internet but lacks state-backed credibility, has been thrown into the spotlight.
国の信用という裏付けを持たない「仮想通貨」の危うさをさらけ出したと言えよう。
Mt. Gox, the operator of a major bitcoin exchange based in Tokyo, has gone bankrupt.
インターネット上の仮想通貨「ビットコイン（ＢＴＣ）」の大手取引サイトを運営するマウントゴックス社（東京）が、経営破綻した。
Almost all bitcoins belonging to Mt. Gox’s customers are presumed to have been fraudulently withdrawn by some unknown person or persons, resulting in an excess of liabilities over assets, the exchange said. The damage is said to total about 850,000 bitcoins (equivalent to about ¥11.4 billion), including Mt. Gox’s own store of the virtual currency.
利用者から預かっていたビットコインが、何者かによって不正に引き出され、債務超過に陥ったためとしている。被害は同社の保有分も含め８５万ＢＴＣ（約１１４億円）にのぼるという。
We are astounded that such a huge sum of bitcoins has vanished like a puff of smoke.
巨額のコインが煙のように消えてしまったのが事実とすれば、驚きを禁じ得ない。
The exchange operator said a hacker or hackers exploited vulnerabilities in the firm’s software system. It said there is a great possibility the bitcoins were stolen.
同社はシステム上の弱点をハッカーに突かれ、コインを奪われた可能性が高いと説明している。
Mt. Gox’s explanations are highly suspicious, such as its argument that as much as ¥2.8 billion in cash deposited by its customers has also disappeared. Thorough investigations must be carried out to clarify what happened.
だが、顧客から預かった現金２８億円も消えるなど不可解な点は残る。徹底した実態解明が必要だ。
Bitcoins are useful as they can be transacted freely around the world via the Internet, and are not subject to control by any country. However, unlike ordinary currency, bitcoins are unprotected because they are not regulated by any monetary authority. It seems that no measures can be taken that would help the firm’s customers recover their money.
ビットコインは国家の統制を受けず、世界で自由に取引できる利点がある。一方、通常のお金と違い、どの国の金融当局からも規制を受けず、保護の枠外にある。被害の救済は困難だろう。
Even in the United States, where the use of bitcoins has been rapidly spreading, Federal Reserve Board Chairwoman Janet Yellen said in testimony before the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday, “This is a payment innovation that’s taking place entirely outside the banking industry.”
普及の進む米国でさえ、米連邦準備制度理事会（ＦＲＢ）のイエレン議長がビットコインを巡る混乱について「銀行決済の枠外で起きている。
She said the Fed lacks the ability to supervise and regulate exchanges between bitcoins and banks as “there is no intersection at all, in any way.”
ＦＲＢに監督や規制の権限がない」と述べている。
Act responsibly amid risk
The value of bitcoins soared sharply last year, with the outstanding balance at one time exceeding an equivalent of ¥1 trillion in the global virtual currency community.
ビットコインは昨年、価格が急騰して、一時は全世界で１兆円超の残高に膨らんだ。
With increasing fears over possible erratic fluctuations of bitcoins, along with warnings from analysts pointing to potential money-laundering and other criminal uses of virtual currency, the Bank of Japan has been researching and investigating bitcoin exchange services.
乱高下への警戒感が強まり、資金洗浄など犯罪への悪用といった弊害も指摘されたことから、日銀は調査・研究を進めていた。
Most victims of the bitcoin scandal are believed to be non-Japanese, but as the website of the Tokyo-based bitcoin exchange operator is at the center of the trouble, both the government and the central bank will probably have to deal with the issue in earnest.
被害を受けた利用者のほとんどは外国人と見られるが、東京に拠点のある業者の取引サイトが問題を起こした以上、政府と日銀も対応に本腰を入れざるを得まい。
Finance Minister Taro Aso, who is also in charge of financial services, said Friday, “I was thinking it [Mt. Gox] would collapse eventually...but it came earlier than I thought, and we will take prompt [countermeasures].” The government should waste no time in preventing a recurrence of bitcoin irregularities, and regulate the virtual currency in close cooperation with other countries concerned.
麻生財務・金融相は「どこかで破綻すると思っていたが、意外に早かった。早急に（対策を）詰める」との考えを示した。関係国と緊密に連携し、再発防止策や規制に関する検討を急ぐべきだ。
Despite the collapse of the major bitcoin exchange, transactions using the digital currency are continuing on the Internet. This is largely because bitcoins allow users to make remittances globally for small fees.
大手取引サイトが破綻したというのに、ネット上ではビットコインの取引が続いている。安い手数料で全世界に送金できるといったメリットがあるからだろう。
There are fears, however, that other malicious hackers are waiting in the wings to find the next bitcoin target. Bitcoin exchange services operators are strongly urged to take stringent steps to guard against unauthorized access to their computer systems.
ただし、悪質なハッカーが、次の標的を狙っている恐れがある。ビットコインのサービスを提供する業者は、不正アクセスの防護などを徹底する責務がある。
Bitcoin users, for their part, should be aware that the virtual currency has no guarantee and protection based on public credibility, so they should act responsibly.
利用者も、公的な信用の裏付けや保護のない現状をきちんと理解し、自己責任を肝に銘じてもらわなければならない。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 2, 2014)
（2014年3月2日01時33分 読売新聞）
2014/03/03
被災地の医療 避難者の健康守る体制拡充を
The Yomiuri Shimbun March 01, 2014
Greater efforts needed to ensure health of 2011 disaster victims
被災地の医療 避難者の健康守る体制拡充を（3月1日付・読売社説）
Though three years will soon have passed since the March 2011 natural disasters and nuclear crisis, 267,000 people are still forced to live as evacuees.
東日本大震災から３年を迎える今も、２６万７０００人が避難生活を強いられている。
The system to protect the health of disaster victims must be expanded and further improved.
被災者の健康を守るための体制をさらに充実させるべきである。
About 100,000 of the victims live in small, prefab temporary housing. Forced to live away from their hometowns in isolated environments with no familiar faces, many evacuees tend to stay in their rooms all day long. There have been many cases in which they develop such lifestyle-related diseases as hypertension and diabetes and fall into a state of depression.
被災者のうち、プレハブの手狭な仮設住宅に暮らす人は約１０万人に上る。住み慣れた土地を離れて孤立し、部屋に閉じこもる人は少なくない。高血圧、糖尿病といった生活習慣病や、うつ状態に陥るケースも目立つ。
With the loss of homes and jobs, some evacuees cannot see any hope of reconstructing their livelihood. This casts dark clouds over them both physically and mentally.
自宅や職場を失い、生活再建を見通せないことが、被災者の心身に暗い影を落としている。
The situation is especially serious for residents who formerly lived along the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, as they cannot be sure of any prospect of returning home due to the continued effects of the disaster at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の事故で、帰還のめどすら立たない福島県沿岸部の住民の場合は、特に深刻である。
Alleviating the psychological stress of victims is a major challenge.
被災者の心理的ストレスを軽減することが大きな課題だ。
It is also important to deal with the continued increase in deaths caused by health deterioration due to such chronic illnesses as heart disease in the aftermath of the disaster.
心臓病など、持病の悪化による震災関連死が増え続けている問題への対処も重要である。
Many medical institutions have yet to be rebuilt after being damaged by tsunami that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake. In some areas, railways have been left cut off. As a result, it is not easy for disaster victims to go to hospitals. Local governments are urged to make such arrangements as home-based medical services after obtaining assistance from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry and the prefectural governments concerned.
津波で被災し、再建されていない医療機関は多い。鉄道が寸断されたままの地域もある。被災者にとって通院は容易ではない。地元自治体は、厚生労働省や県の支援を受け、訪問診療などの体制を整備してもらいたい。
In the case of temporary housing in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, where about 4,000 evacuees live, doctors and nurses are sent from a temporary clinic built on the housing site to take care of the residents. There are also support staff for disaster survivors, who have work experience as health aides and make the rounds of housing units.
約４０００人が暮らす宮城県石巻市の仮設住宅では、敷地内の仮設診療所から医師、看護師が訪問診療、看護に出向いている。「被災者支援員」と呼ばれるヘルパー経験者らも各戸を巡回する。
There are said to be cases in which such staffers have discovered residents’ health problems as they often talked to them, and ailing evacuees were able to receive medical treatment through their referrals.
支援員が話し相手になり、入居者の体調の異変に気づいて治療に結びつけることもあるという。
Aid must be multilateral
Junichi Cho, director of the temporary clinic, said: “It is difficult to take care of the disaster victims with doctors and nurses alone. It is essential for various kinds of people in society to provide cooperation.”
長純一所長は「医師や看護師だけで被災者をケアするのは難しい。様々な立場の人が協力することが大切だ」と強調する。
The population has been aging further in the disaster-stricken areas due to an outflow of young people.
被災地では、若い世代の流出で高齢化が一段と進んだ。
Those involved in medical treatment and nursing care, as well as nonprofit organizations and volunteers, sustain home-based medical services for the elderly. Such a support system must be established nationwide amid the rapid aging of the population and is most urgently needed in disaster-affected areas.
医療・介護関係者をはじめ、ＮＰＯ（非営利組織）やボランティアが連携し、在宅の高齢者を支える。その仕組み作りは、高齢化が進む日本全国で必要だが、とりわけ被災地では急務である。
Such areas were suffering a shortage of doctors even before the disaster occurred.
被災地は元々、医師不足が深刻だった地域だ。
To help secure a sufficient number of doctors, the government has decided to permit the establishment of new medical departments at universities, which have not been allowed for a long time, only in the Tohoku region. This is expected to have some effect from a mid- to long-term perspective.
政府は、医師の確保策として、長年認めていなかった医学部の新設を、東北地方に限って容認する方針を決めた。中長期的には、一定の効果は見込めるだろう。
In addition, assistance measures must be taken to promote the assignment of doctors and nurses to disaster-stricken and underpopulated areas plagued by a shortage of such personnel.
これに加え、医師や看護師が、人材不足の被災地や過疎地に赴くための支援策も必要になる。
The most crucial task for the moment is to secure enough doctors. Medical societies and hospitals across the country must join hands to ensure the continued dispatch of doctors to the disaster-affected areas.
最優先の課題は、当面の医師の確保である。医学会や全国の病院が協力し、被災地への医師の派遣を継続していくべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 1, 2014)
（2014年3月1日01時31分 読売新聞）
Greater efforts needed to ensure health of 2011 disaster victims
被災地の医療 避難者の健康守る体制拡充を（3月1日付・読売社説）
Though three years will soon have passed since the March 2011 natural disasters and nuclear crisis, 267,000 people are still forced to live as evacuees.
東日本大震災から３年を迎える今も、２６万７０００人が避難生活を強いられている。
The system to protect the health of disaster victims must be expanded and further improved.
被災者の健康を守るための体制をさらに充実させるべきである。
About 100,000 of the victims live in small, prefab temporary housing. Forced to live away from their hometowns in isolated environments with no familiar faces, many evacuees tend to stay in their rooms all day long. There have been many cases in which they develop such lifestyle-related diseases as hypertension and diabetes and fall into a state of depression.
被災者のうち、プレハブの手狭な仮設住宅に暮らす人は約１０万人に上る。住み慣れた土地を離れて孤立し、部屋に閉じこもる人は少なくない。高血圧、糖尿病といった生活習慣病や、うつ状態に陥るケースも目立つ。
With the loss of homes and jobs, some evacuees cannot see any hope of reconstructing their livelihood. This casts dark clouds over them both physically and mentally.
自宅や職場を失い、生活再建を見通せないことが、被災者の心身に暗い影を落としている。
The situation is especially serious for residents who formerly lived along the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, as they cannot be sure of any prospect of returning home due to the continued effects of the disaster at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の事故で、帰還のめどすら立たない福島県沿岸部の住民の場合は、特に深刻である。
Alleviating the psychological stress of victims is a major challenge.
被災者の心理的ストレスを軽減することが大きな課題だ。
It is also important to deal with the continued increase in deaths caused by health deterioration due to such chronic illnesses as heart disease in the aftermath of the disaster.
心臓病など、持病の悪化による震災関連死が増え続けている問題への対処も重要である。
Many medical institutions have yet to be rebuilt after being damaged by tsunami that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake. In some areas, railways have been left cut off. As a result, it is not easy for disaster victims to go to hospitals. Local governments are urged to make such arrangements as home-based medical services after obtaining assistance from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry and the prefectural governments concerned.
津波で被災し、再建されていない医療機関は多い。鉄道が寸断されたままの地域もある。被災者にとって通院は容易ではない。地元自治体は、厚生労働省や県の支援を受け、訪問診療などの体制を整備してもらいたい。
In the case of temporary housing in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, where about 4,000 evacuees live, doctors and nurses are sent from a temporary clinic built on the housing site to take care of the residents. There are also support staff for disaster survivors, who have work experience as health aides and make the rounds of housing units.
約４０００人が暮らす宮城県石巻市の仮設住宅では、敷地内の仮設診療所から医師、看護師が訪問診療、看護に出向いている。「被災者支援員」と呼ばれるヘルパー経験者らも各戸を巡回する。
There are said to be cases in which such staffers have discovered residents’ health problems as they often talked to them, and ailing evacuees were able to receive medical treatment through their referrals.
支援員が話し相手になり、入居者の体調の異変に気づいて治療に結びつけることもあるという。
Aid must be multilateral
Junichi Cho, director of the temporary clinic, said: “It is difficult to take care of the disaster victims with doctors and nurses alone. It is essential for various kinds of people in society to provide cooperation.”
長純一所長は「医師や看護師だけで被災者をケアするのは難しい。様々な立場の人が協力することが大切だ」と強調する。
The population has been aging further in the disaster-stricken areas due to an outflow of young people.
被災地では、若い世代の流出で高齢化が一段と進んだ。
Those involved in medical treatment and nursing care, as well as nonprofit organizations and volunteers, sustain home-based medical services for the elderly. Such a support system must be established nationwide amid the rapid aging of the population and is most urgently needed in disaster-affected areas.
医療・介護関係者をはじめ、ＮＰＯ（非営利組織）やボランティアが連携し、在宅の高齢者を支える。その仕組み作りは、高齢化が進む日本全国で必要だが、とりわけ被災地では急務である。
Such areas were suffering a shortage of doctors even before the disaster occurred.
被災地は元々、医師不足が深刻だった地域だ。
To help secure a sufficient number of doctors, the government has decided to permit the establishment of new medical departments at universities, which have not been allowed for a long time, only in the Tohoku region. This is expected to have some effect from a mid- to long-term perspective.
政府は、医師の確保策として、長年認めていなかった医学部の新設を、東北地方に限って容認する方針を決めた。中長期的には、一定の効果は見込めるだろう。
In addition, assistance measures must be taken to promote the assignment of doctors and nurses to disaster-stricken and underpopulated areas plagued by a shortage of such personnel.
これに加え、医師や看護師が、人材不足の被災地や過疎地に赴くための支援策も必要になる。
The most crucial task for the moment is to secure enough doctors. Medical societies and hospitals across the country must join hands to ensure the continued dispatch of doctors to the disaster-affected areas.
最優先の課題は、当面の医師の確保である。医学会や全国の病院が協力し、被災地への医師の派遣を継続していくべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 1, 2014)
（2014年3月1日01時31分 読売新聞）
2014/03/02
個人賠償請求 訴え受理なら日中関係損なう
The Yomiuri Shimbun February 28, 2014
Chinese damages suit against Japan firms threatening to harm bilateral ties
個人賠償請求 訴え受理なら日中関係損なう（2月28日付・読売社説）
A damages suit filed with a Beijing court may shake the very foundation of Japan-China relations, depending on how it is handled. The Chinese administration of President Xi Jinping should deal with the issue with an eye on future bilateral relations.
日中関係の大原則をゆるがせにしかねない。習近平政権は将来を見据えた判断をすべきだ。
The suit was filed against two Japanese businesses by former Chinese workers and others who called for an apology and compensation, claiming they were forcibly brought to Japan in wartime and made to work under severe labor conditions.
戦時中に中国から強制連行され、過酷な労働を強いられたとする中国人の元労働者らが、日本企業２社を相手取り、謝罪と損害賠償を求める訴状を北京の裁判所に提出した。
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga emphasized the Japanese government’s position on the matter, saying, “There is no reparation issue left pending between Japan and China, including those concerning individual demands for reparation.”
これに対し、菅官房長官は「日中間の請求権問題は、個人の請求権問題を含め、存在していない」と日本政府の立場を強調した。
In the Japan-China joint statement signed in 1972 to mark the normalization of bilateral relations, the Chinese government declared its relinquishment of reparation demands for damage related to the war.
中国政府は、１９７２年の国交正常化時の日中共同声明で、日本に対する戦争被害の賠償請求を放棄する、と宣言している。
In a case filed in Japan by Chinese people and others for individual reparations, the Supreme Court turned down the plaintiffs’ claim in 2007, saying, “Due to the Japan-China joint statement, individual Chinese are unable to file reparation claims for war damage.” This can be judged as an appropriate decision.
日本では、中国人による個人賠償請求訴訟があったが、最高裁は２００７年、「日中共同声明により、中国人個人は戦争被害について、裁判上の賠償請求はできなくなった」として訴えを棄却した。適切な判断だったと言える。
The key point is whether the lawsuit will be accepted by the Chinese court, which is under the control of the Chinese Communist Party-led government. If accepted, it will become the first Chinese reparation case against a Japanese company over alleged forced relocation and labor.
問題は、今回の訴えを、共産党政権の指導下にある裁判所が受理するかどうかだ。受理されれば、中国では、日本企業に対する初めての強制連行訴訟となる。
Detrimental factors
The Chinese government holds the position that individual rights to claim damages are not included in the joint statement. But, in fact, no such a claim has been accepted by a Chinese court.
中国政府は、日中共同声明には個人の賠償請求権は含まれないという立場を取っている。しかし、実際には、裁判所は今までそのような訴えを受理しなかった。
Behind this could be the fact that China attached importance to relations with Japan, which sustained its economic development with various kinds of assistance, including the provision of a huge amount of yen credit.
巨額の円借款などで経済発展を支えた日本との関係維持を重視したからだろう。
There must have been wariness on the part of China’s leadership that if one court battle over a historical incident was accepted, it could ignite large anti-Japan rallies and invite public criticism that the government was weak regarding Japan.
ひとたび歴史を巡る国内での法廷闘争を容認すれば、大規模な反日デモや、政権の対応を「弱腰」とする批判を誘発しかねないとの警戒感もあったに違いない。
But the situation today is different from what it was before. The bilateral relationship has worsened to such an extent that top leaders of the two countries cannot hold a summit meeting. The Xi administration has been intensifying its anti-Japan propaganda campaign over the issue of history since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine in late December.
ただ、現在の状況はこれまでと異なる。日中間では首脳同士が会談さえできない。習政権は、安倍首相による昨年末の靖国神社参拝を機に、歴史問題で日本を攻撃する反日宣伝を一層強めている。
If the Xi administration changes tack and the court accepts the damages suit, the bilateral relationship will deteriorate more seriously.
習政権が従来の方針を転換し、裁判所が訴えを受理すれば、関係の悪化はより深刻となろう。
If that happens, it is impossible to anticipate how many more individual claims will be filed against Japanese firms. Beijing claims that about 40,000 Chinese were forced to work in Japan in wartime.
そうなれば、どれだけの個人が被害を訴え出るのか、予測もつかない。中国は、強制連行された人は約４万人に上るとしている。
Due to concern about Chinese downside risks, bilateral trade, investments and tourism could cool off.
中国リスクの高まりが懸念され、日中間の貿易や投資、観光などが冷え込む可能性もある。
Court battles over damages claim filed by former South Korean forced workers and the Chinese suit over forced labor can be taken by Japan as basically in the same paradigm.
日本にとって、韓国で元徴用工が日本企業に損害賠償を求めている裁判と、中国の強制連行訴訟は、基本的に似た構図と言えよう。
The Japanese government should support the firms against which damages claim was filed. To China, South Korea and the international community, Tokyo must strongly argue the invalidity of rekindling issues that have already been settled legally.
日本政府は、訴えられた企業を支援すべきだ。中韓及び国際社会に対しては、法的に解決済みの問題を蒸し返すことの不当性を強く訴えていかねばならない。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 28, 2014)
（2014年2月28日01時21分 読売新聞）
Chinese damages suit against Japan firms threatening to harm bilateral ties
個人賠償請求 訴え受理なら日中関係損なう（2月28日付・読売社説）
A damages suit filed with a Beijing court may shake the very foundation of Japan-China relations, depending on how it is handled. The Chinese administration of President Xi Jinping should deal with the issue with an eye on future bilateral relations.
日中関係の大原則をゆるがせにしかねない。習近平政権は将来を見据えた判断をすべきだ。
The suit was filed against two Japanese businesses by former Chinese workers and others who called for an apology and compensation, claiming they were forcibly brought to Japan in wartime and made to work under severe labor conditions.
戦時中に中国から強制連行され、過酷な労働を強いられたとする中国人の元労働者らが、日本企業２社を相手取り、謝罪と損害賠償を求める訴状を北京の裁判所に提出した。
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga emphasized the Japanese government’s position on the matter, saying, “There is no reparation issue left pending between Japan and China, including those concerning individual demands for reparation.”
これに対し、菅官房長官は「日中間の請求権問題は、個人の請求権問題を含め、存在していない」と日本政府の立場を強調した。
In the Japan-China joint statement signed in 1972 to mark the normalization of bilateral relations, the Chinese government declared its relinquishment of reparation demands for damage related to the war.
中国政府は、１９７２年の国交正常化時の日中共同声明で、日本に対する戦争被害の賠償請求を放棄する、と宣言している。
In a case filed in Japan by Chinese people and others for individual reparations, the Supreme Court turned down the plaintiffs’ claim in 2007, saying, “Due to the Japan-China joint statement, individual Chinese are unable to file reparation claims for war damage.” This can be judged as an appropriate decision.
日本では、中国人による個人賠償請求訴訟があったが、最高裁は２００７年、「日中共同声明により、中国人個人は戦争被害について、裁判上の賠償請求はできなくなった」として訴えを棄却した。適切な判断だったと言える。
The key point is whether the lawsuit will be accepted by the Chinese court, which is under the control of the Chinese Communist Party-led government. If accepted, it will become the first Chinese reparation case against a Japanese company over alleged forced relocation and labor.
問題は、今回の訴えを、共産党政権の指導下にある裁判所が受理するかどうかだ。受理されれば、中国では、日本企業に対する初めての強制連行訴訟となる。
Detrimental factors
The Chinese government holds the position that individual rights to claim damages are not included in the joint statement. But, in fact, no such a claim has been accepted by a Chinese court.
中国政府は、日中共同声明には個人の賠償請求権は含まれないという立場を取っている。しかし、実際には、裁判所は今までそのような訴えを受理しなかった。
Behind this could be the fact that China attached importance to relations with Japan, which sustained its economic development with various kinds of assistance, including the provision of a huge amount of yen credit.
巨額の円借款などで経済発展を支えた日本との関係維持を重視したからだろう。
There must have been wariness on the part of China’s leadership that if one court battle over a historical incident was accepted, it could ignite large anti-Japan rallies and invite public criticism that the government was weak regarding Japan.
ひとたび歴史を巡る国内での法廷闘争を容認すれば、大規模な反日デモや、政権の対応を「弱腰」とする批判を誘発しかねないとの警戒感もあったに違いない。
But the situation today is different from what it was before. The bilateral relationship has worsened to such an extent that top leaders of the two countries cannot hold a summit meeting. The Xi administration has been intensifying its anti-Japan propaganda campaign over the issue of history since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine in late December.
ただ、現在の状況はこれまでと異なる。日中間では首脳同士が会談さえできない。習政権は、安倍首相による昨年末の靖国神社参拝を機に、歴史問題で日本を攻撃する反日宣伝を一層強めている。
If the Xi administration changes tack and the court accepts the damages suit, the bilateral relationship will deteriorate more seriously.
習政権が従来の方針を転換し、裁判所が訴えを受理すれば、関係の悪化はより深刻となろう。
If that happens, it is impossible to anticipate how many more individual claims will be filed against Japanese firms. Beijing claims that about 40,000 Chinese were forced to work in Japan in wartime.
そうなれば、どれだけの個人が被害を訴え出るのか、予測もつかない。中国は、強制連行された人は約４万人に上るとしている。
Due to concern about Chinese downside risks, bilateral trade, investments and tourism could cool off.
中国リスクの高まりが懸念され、日中間の貿易や投資、観光などが冷え込む可能性もある。
Court battles over damages claim filed by former South Korean forced workers and the Chinese suit over forced labor can be taken by Japan as basically in the same paradigm.
日本にとって、韓国で元徴用工が日本企業に損害賠償を求めている裁判と、中国の強制連行訴訟は、基本的に似た構図と言えよう。
The Japanese government should support the firms against which damages claim was filed. To China, South Korea and the international community, Tokyo must strongly argue the invalidity of rekindling issues that have already been settled legally.
日本政府は、訴えられた企業を支援すべきだ。中韓及び国際社会に対しては、法的に解決済みの問題を蒸し返すことの不当性を強く訴えていかねばならない。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 28, 2014)
（2014年2月28日01時21分 読売新聞）
2014/03/01
ＴＰＰ交渉不調 日米が協力して漂流させるな
The Yomiuri Shimbun February 27, 2014
Japan, U.S. should cooperate to stop TPP talks from drifting
ＴＰＰ交渉不調 日米が協力して漂流させるな（2月27日付・読売社説）
Ministerial talks for the Trans-Pacific Partnership multilateral economic partnership agreement once again failed to reach a basic agreement, mainly due to a confrontation between Japan and the United States.
日本と米国の対立が障害となり、環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）交渉の閣僚会合は再び、大筋合意を見送った。
The TPP negotiations should not be left drifting. Japan and the United States, the countries responsible for leading the negotiations, must swiftly put the talks onto a desirable track.
このまま交渉を漂流させてはならない。主導すべき日米両国が交渉を早急に立て直すべきである。
It was a fresh start from the previous talks in December, but the negotiations have broken down for the second time. No schedule has been officially set for the next meeting. This result is utterly disappointing.
昨年１２月の仕切り直しだったのに、２度目の物別れだ。妥結目標を示さず、次回日程も決まっていない。期待外れの結果である。
The latest TPP ministerial talks held in Singapore, in which 12 countries including Japan, the United States and Australia participated, have ended.
日米を始め、豪州など１２か国が参加したシンガポールでのＴＰＰ閣僚会合が終了した。
The aim of the TPP is to create new free trade rules in the Asia-Pacific region to lead the world with an economic partnership framework for the 21st century. However, if the negotiations were to lose momentum, it would be difficult to break the state of deadlock.
ＴＰＰは、アジア太平洋地域で新たな自由貿易ルールを作り、２１世紀型の経済連携で世界をリードすることが狙いだ。しかし、交渉の勢いが弱まれば、膠着(こうちゃく)状態を打開するのは難しくなるだろう。
The main reason that the participating ministers have given up on reaching a basic agreement was a confrontation between Japan and the United States over the elimination of tariffs.
大筋合意を断念した主因は、関税撤廃を巡る日米の対立だ。
Regarding the Liberal Democratic Party’s insistence that five sensitive agricultural categories, including rice, wheat and barley, be exempted as sanctuary items, the United States has maintained its hard-line stance, persistently seeking tariff cuts on them. Japan sought a point of compromise on the five categories by suggesting the possibility of lowering tariffs on beef and pork to sound out the U.S. reaction. However, the abyss between the two countries on the issue was so deep that they could not find any point of compromise.
自民党がコメ、麦など農産品５項目を関税撤廃の聖域として主張している問題で、米国はあくまで関税撤廃を求めて強硬だった。日本は５項目のうち、牛肉や豚肉の関税引き下げを打診し、妥協点を探ったが、溝は深かった。
On the issue of tariffs on automobiles and auto parts, which Japan demanded that the United States remove, the two countries could not solve their confrontation.
日本が米国に要求した自動車や自動車部品の関税撤廃問題でも、対立は解けなかった。
It will be difficult to find a way out of the deadlock in the TPP talks if Japan and the United States, two economic giants, only stick to their negotiation principles and do not show flexibility. The two countries should reflect on their attitudes, which have lacked broader perspective.
経済大国の日米がＴＰＰ交渉で互いに原則論に終始し、柔軟性を示さなければ活路は開けない。ともに大局的見地を欠いていた点は反省すべきだ。
Reshaping the talks
Australia and emerging countries such as Malaysia, which have closely watched the Japan-U.S. negotiations, have also become passive in the TPP talks. Broad differences were also seen between the claims of the United States and emerging nations as well. Japan and the United States should feel a serious sense of responsibility for holding up the overall TPP talks.
日米協議を注視していた豪州やマレーシアなど新興国も消極的になった。米国と新興国の主張にも開きがあった。交渉全体の足を引っ張った日米の責任は大きい。
The focus from now on is how to put the talks onto a desirable course.
今後の焦点は、ＴＰＰ交渉をどう立て直すかである。
The 12 countries are expected to have the next meeting when the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum holds a meeting of trade ministers in Qingdao, China, in May.
１２か国は中国・青島で５月に開くアジア太平洋経済協力会議（ＡＰＥＣ）貿易相会合の際に次回会合を開く考えとみられる。
Another important factor for breaking the deadlock of the TPP talks is a Japan-U.S. summit meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama, who will visit Japan in late April. It is inevitable that the TPP should become a main discussion agenda for their talks.
ＴＰＰ交渉打開に向けて重要になるのが、４月下旬に来日するオバマ米大統領と安倍首相との日米首脳会談である。ＴＰＰが主要議題にならざるを得ない。
In the United States, the protectionist pressure has been increasing with midterm elections of the U.S. Congress scheduled for November. For this reason, we are concerned about how the U.S. side’s difficulty with compromising in the talks will play out.
米国では、１１月の議会中間選挙を控え、保護貿易主義圧力が高まっている。このため、米国が譲歩しにくい展開も懸念される。
Obama has maintained that concluding the TPP agreement is the top priority issue for employment and export expansion. We hope he exercises his leadership in domestic coordination and efforts to make progress in the TPP negotiations.
大統領は雇用や輸出拡大のためＴＰＰ妥結を最優先課題に掲げてきた。国内調整と交渉進展で指導力を発揮してもらいたい。
The attitude of Abe, who made the TPP a pillar of his growth strategy, will be put to a test. Abe must stand at the helm in finding a point of agreement with the United States, while reinforcing the competitiveness of Japan’s agricultural sector ahead of market liberalization.
ＴＰＰを成長戦略の柱に据える安倍首相の姿勢も問われる。市場開放に備え、農業分野の競争力を強化しながら、米国との接点を見いだす先頭に立つ必要がある。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 27, 2014)
（2014年2月27日01時34分 読売新聞）
Japan, U.S. should cooperate to stop TPP talks from drifting
ＴＰＰ交渉不調 日米が協力して漂流させるな（2月27日付・読売社説）
Ministerial talks for the Trans-Pacific Partnership multilateral economic partnership agreement once again failed to reach a basic agreement, mainly due to a confrontation between Japan and the United States.
日本と米国の対立が障害となり、環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）交渉の閣僚会合は再び、大筋合意を見送った。
The TPP negotiations should not be left drifting. Japan and the United States, the countries responsible for leading the negotiations, must swiftly put the talks onto a desirable track.
このまま交渉を漂流させてはならない。主導すべき日米両国が交渉を早急に立て直すべきである。
It was a fresh start from the previous talks in December, but the negotiations have broken down for the second time. No schedule has been officially set for the next meeting. This result is utterly disappointing.
昨年１２月の仕切り直しだったのに、２度目の物別れだ。妥結目標を示さず、次回日程も決まっていない。期待外れの結果である。
The latest TPP ministerial talks held in Singapore, in which 12 countries including Japan, the United States and Australia participated, have ended.
日米を始め、豪州など１２か国が参加したシンガポールでのＴＰＰ閣僚会合が終了した。
The aim of the TPP is to create new free trade rules in the Asia-Pacific region to lead the world with an economic partnership framework for the 21st century. However, if the negotiations were to lose momentum, it would be difficult to break the state of deadlock.
ＴＰＰは、アジア太平洋地域で新たな自由貿易ルールを作り、２１世紀型の経済連携で世界をリードすることが狙いだ。しかし、交渉の勢いが弱まれば、膠着(こうちゃく)状態を打開するのは難しくなるだろう。
The main reason that the participating ministers have given up on reaching a basic agreement was a confrontation between Japan and the United States over the elimination of tariffs.
大筋合意を断念した主因は、関税撤廃を巡る日米の対立だ。
Regarding the Liberal Democratic Party’s insistence that five sensitive agricultural categories, including rice, wheat and barley, be exempted as sanctuary items, the United States has maintained its hard-line stance, persistently seeking tariff cuts on them. Japan sought a point of compromise on the five categories by suggesting the possibility of lowering tariffs on beef and pork to sound out the U.S. reaction. However, the abyss between the two countries on the issue was so deep that they could not find any point of compromise.
自民党がコメ、麦など農産品５項目を関税撤廃の聖域として主張している問題で、米国はあくまで関税撤廃を求めて強硬だった。日本は５項目のうち、牛肉や豚肉の関税引き下げを打診し、妥協点を探ったが、溝は深かった。
On the issue of tariffs on automobiles and auto parts, which Japan demanded that the United States remove, the two countries could not solve their confrontation.
日本が米国に要求した自動車や自動車部品の関税撤廃問題でも、対立は解けなかった。
It will be difficult to find a way out of the deadlock in the TPP talks if Japan and the United States, two economic giants, only stick to their negotiation principles and do not show flexibility. The two countries should reflect on their attitudes, which have lacked broader perspective.
経済大国の日米がＴＰＰ交渉で互いに原則論に終始し、柔軟性を示さなければ活路は開けない。ともに大局的見地を欠いていた点は反省すべきだ。
Reshaping the talks
Australia and emerging countries such as Malaysia, which have closely watched the Japan-U.S. negotiations, have also become passive in the TPP talks. Broad differences were also seen between the claims of the United States and emerging nations as well. Japan and the United States should feel a serious sense of responsibility for holding up the overall TPP talks.
日米協議を注視していた豪州やマレーシアなど新興国も消極的になった。米国と新興国の主張にも開きがあった。交渉全体の足を引っ張った日米の責任は大きい。
The focus from now on is how to put the talks onto a desirable course.
今後の焦点は、ＴＰＰ交渉をどう立て直すかである。
The 12 countries are expected to have the next meeting when the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum holds a meeting of trade ministers in Qingdao, China, in May.
１２か国は中国・青島で５月に開くアジア太平洋経済協力会議（ＡＰＥＣ）貿易相会合の際に次回会合を開く考えとみられる。
Another important factor for breaking the deadlock of the TPP talks is a Japan-U.S. summit meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama, who will visit Japan in late April. It is inevitable that the TPP should become a main discussion agenda for their talks.
ＴＰＰ交渉打開に向けて重要になるのが、４月下旬に来日するオバマ米大統領と安倍首相との日米首脳会談である。ＴＰＰが主要議題にならざるを得ない。
In the United States, the protectionist pressure has been increasing with midterm elections of the U.S. Congress scheduled for November. For this reason, we are concerned about how the U.S. side’s difficulty with compromising in the talks will play out.
米国では、１１月の議会中間選挙を控え、保護貿易主義圧力が高まっている。このため、米国が譲歩しにくい展開も懸念される。
Obama has maintained that concluding the TPP agreement is the top priority issue for employment and export expansion. We hope he exercises his leadership in domestic coordination and efforts to make progress in the TPP negotiations.
大統領は雇用や輸出拡大のためＴＰＰ妥結を最優先課題に掲げてきた。国内調整と交渉進展で指導力を発揮してもらいたい。
The attitude of Abe, who made the TPP a pillar of his growth strategy, will be put to a test. Abe must stand at the helm in finding a point of agreement with the United States, while reinforcing the competitiveness of Japan’s agricultural sector ahead of market liberalization.
ＴＰＰを成長戦略の柱に据える安倍首相の姿勢も問われる。市場開放に備え、農業分野の競争力を強化しながら、米国との接点を見いだす先頭に立つ必要がある。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 27, 2014)
（2014年2月27日01時34分 読売新聞）
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