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日本考虑军事安全改革

Japan’s government says it plans to allow its self-defense forces to play a greater role in global security. Currently Japan's ‘pacifist’ constitution, written under American supervision¹ after World War II, allows the country's armed forces to be used only for defensive² purposes to preserve national security. Tokyo's current plans have prompted anger in China, however, which is engaged in a heated territorial³ dispute with Japan.

日本政府计划未来允许它的自卫队在全球安全体系中扮演更重要的角色。目前日本宪法，也就是二战后在美国监督下制定的战后宪法允许日本军事力量用于包围国家安全的防御目的。不过日本的计划激怒了中国。

On Friday under the glare of the media, a group of more than 100 Japanese lawmakers visited Tokyo's Yasukuni shrine⁴, which honors Japan’s war dead, including several convicted war criminals.

100多位日本议员上星期五参拜了东京的靖国神社，这里供奉着日本战死的军人，也包括几名日本战犯。

The visit prompted anger in China. Hua Chunying, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry⁵, said, "once again China urges Japan to abide⁶ by its commitment and promise to deeply examine history and take real measures to win the trust of Asian neighbors and the international community."

此举激怒了中国。中国外交部发言人华春莹说：“我们也想再次敦促日本切实本着对历史负责对未来负责的态度，恪守在历史问题做出的表态和承诺，以实际行动取信于亚洲邻国和国际社会。”

The tension comes as the two countries dispute the ownership of offshore⁷ islands known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

目前由于日本所称的尖阁列岛、中国所称的钓鱼岛主权争端导致 两国关系紧张。

Opening a new session of Japan’s parliament last week, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made national security a central pillar of his policy reform.

本首相安倍上星期在日本国会新一届会期的开幕式上把国家安全作为他政策改革的中心任务。

Abe said Japan must not look away from the reality of an increasingly severe security situation in the region.

安倍说：“我们不能无视这一地区面临的日益严重的安全局势。”

"I will proceed with a realistic security policy and diplomacy," he added.

“我将根据符合现实的安全政策与外交手段来行动。”

Japan has developed what it terms "self-defense forces," but relies on its alliance with the United States for its overall security.

日本具有自卫队力量但是在整体安全问题上要依靠与美国的同盟关系。

Nationalist author Hideaki Kase said that reliance, though, is out of date.

但是具有民族主义色彩的作者秀颖加世说这种同盟关系已经过时。

“We are now witnessing rising American isolationism. So we can no longer place 100 percent trust in U.S. willingness to defend us,” he said.

“我们现在看到的是美国日益增长的孤立主义。所以我们不能百分之百相信美国愿意保护我们。”

Compared to the U.S., China’s relative military power is expanding rapidly, said Shinichi Kitaoka, Japan's former ambassador to the U.N. and key advisor⁸ to Abe.

“Not only the rapid rise of their [China’s] military budget. Their activities are sometimes irregular, and it seems to us challenging to the status quo by force, which is very dangerous,” said Kitaoka.

Japanese warships⁹ are currently deployed¹⁰ in anti-piracy operations off Somalia. Should allied¹¹ warships come under attack, Japan’s constitution forbids its forces from coming to their aid.

日本战舰目前部署在索马里海岸进行打击海盗活动。如果盟国船只遭到进攻，日本宪法禁止它的战舰提供援助。

Kitaoka said Japan must re-interpret its constitution and lift the self-imposed ban on the right to exercise collective self-defense.

“If we have to respond to all the threats by individual effort alone, then we would probably have to have a big military," he said. "So the collective right of self-defense is not dangerous, rather it is a safer way to peace.”

“如果我们要单独应对每一个威胁，那么我们需要一个很大的军事力量。所以这种共同自卫不但不危险，反而是实现和平的安全途径。”

But recent opinion polls show just half of Japanese voters favor revising the country's pacifist constitution, far less than the 90 percent of lawmakers who desire to do so.

但不是每个日本人都赞成对宪法重新解释。

Tokyo resident Takako Tsuchida is among those who opposes changing the constitution. Tsuchida said she is 100 percent against all war.

一位东京居民说：“我百分之百反对战争。。”

"So if you change the constitution," she said, "I worry that there’s a possibility that war would happen again, so that’s why I’m against it."

“我担心修改宪法有可能再次导致战争。所以我持反对立场。”

Abe insists that allowing Japan to play a greater role in global security, however, will promote regional peace. But fear persists among its neighbors that Japan has yet to heed¹² the lessons of its past.

日本首相安倍坚持认为允许日本在全球安全体系发挥更大的作用有助于推动地区和平。但是日本的邻国担心日本没有吸取历史的教训。