Australia and China have conducted their first-ever joint naval exercise involving the firing of live ammunition. Ongoing tensions between China and the United States forced organizers not to invite American forces to take part in the military maneuvers.
中国和澳大利亚正在举行首次联合军事演习。演习包括实弹射击。由于目前美国和中国关系较为紧张，演习没有邀请美国参加。
The Australian frigate, HMAS Warramunga, participated in the first live-firing exercise of its kind with the Chinese navy off the Shandong Peninsular in the Yellow Sea in north-eastern China.
澳大利亚派出护卫舰瓦拉蒙加号参加了这次在山东半岛外黄海举行的包括实弹射击在内的联合军演。
The vessel took part in the drill alongside the Chinese warship, the Louyang. Joint helicopter missions and search-and-rescue operations are also part of the joint maneuvers. Australian navy chiefs say the exercises are among the most complex ever conducted with Chinese forces. The naval officials say the presence of HMAS Warramunga and her crew highlights greater cooperation between Canberra and Beijing.
澳大利亚的瓦拉蒙加号和中国的“洛阳”号导弹护卫舰一起参加了这次演习。演习内容包括直升机编队行动以及海上救援搜索等内容。澳大利亚海军方面表示，这次演习是双方最为复杂的联合行动，凸显了澳中两间更紧密的合作关系。
The vessel's senior officer, Commander Bruce Legge, said the war games were an effective way to build trust and friendship. He dismissed concerns that Australia's traditional military ally, the United States, was not invited to take part.
瓦拉蒙加号舰长莱德说，联合演习是双方间建立互信和友谊的有效渠道。美国是澳大利亚的传统盟国，而美国没有被邀参加演习引起了一些关注。莱德舰长对这些关切表示不以为然。
In a recent essay, defense analyst Hugh White of the Australian National University wrote that growing tensions between Washington and Beijing could harm Australia's prosperity.
澳大利亚国立大学的国防分析人士怀特在最近发表的一篇评论中说，美中关系紧张有可能殃及澳大利亚的利益。
"I'm contrasting the future we might be facing over the next few years and few decades with the remarkably good period we've had for the last 40 years, where U.S. uncontested primacy in the Asia-Pacific region has given Asia and Australia a really wonderful ride," said White. "And my fear is that if, as China grows, the U.S.-China relationship becomes more competitive, more contested, then we're going to find ourselves in a different kind of world in which the peace of Asia is not nearly so guaranteed and the economic opportunities for Australia, particularly our economic opportunities with China, might be more constricted."
他说：“我把两种情况进行了一个比较，一个是未来几年、几十年我们可能面对的局势，一个是过去40年来我们所经历的不同凡响的和平与稳定。美国在亚太地区无以比拟的强大使得亚洲和澳大利亚获得了巨大的利益。我的担心是，如果中国强大了，跟美国的关系变得更具竞争性，我们就会发现亚洲的和平不再是那么有保障了，澳大利亚的经贸机会、特别是跟中国的经贸机会就可能会受到更多的制约。”
Earlier this week two Chinese navy ships arrived in Sydney, where they were welcomed into the famous harbor by a naval band and lion dancers. The visit is part of an official program aimed at improving bilateral defense ties.
本星期初，两艘中国军舰还访问了悉尼，受到澳大利亚海军仪仗队的欢迎。这是两国间改善关系的诸多项目当中的一个。
China is Australia's biggest trading partner. Chinese demand for raw materials helped protect the Australian economy from the ravages of the global recession. Analysts in Canberra believe the United States must remain Australia's principal military partner, a view held by most senior government figures.
中国是澳大利亚最大的贸易伙伴。中国对矿石等原材料的大量需求使澳大利亚免于全球经济危机的打击。但在另一方面，澳大利亚的分析人士以及大部分政府高级官员都认为，美国仍然必须是澳大利亚的最主要军事伙伴。
Canberra and Washington remain bound by a long-standing security treaty that dates back to the early 1950s.
澳大利亚和美国两国间的紧密关系可以追溯到上世纪五十年代，两国五十年代初就签署了安全条约。 |