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US-Japan drill 'raises regional tension'
日本陆上自卫队队员21日登上停泊在冲绳县美军基地的美国军舰，将于数日后启程前往北马里亚纳群岛和关岛，进行模拟夺回日本岛屿的日美联合军事演习。陆上自卫队已与美国海军陆战队第3远征军和第1远征军多次实施联合军演，但将岛屿当作演习场所尚属首次。在中日钓鱼岛紧张加剧之际，这样的演习被视为“火上浇油”。日本《产经新闻》引述日本防卫省官员的话说，“美日演习就是假设中国军队入侵钓鱼岛，美日如何联合夺回”。这番言论引发外界关于钓鱼岛会否发生军事冲突的猜测。
Washington and Tokyo kicked off a military drill, which envisioned retaking an island, in whatanalysts said was a clear signal that the US was throwing its military weight behind Japan over theDiaoyu Islands issue.
The 37-day drill, which started on Tuesday, involves troops sailing 2,000 km on a US vessel toTinian Island, off the coast of the Northern Marianas. Boats and helicopters will then be deployed ina joint landing.
Although no country was named as the target of the exercise, an official with the JapaneseDefense Ministry indicated that the drill is obviously devised to "seize back" the Diaoyu Islands "once China’s armed forces have taken them", according to a report by Japanese newspaperSankei Shimbun.
The timing of the drill, and Washington’s involvement, will complicate the situation, analysts said. The Diaoyu Islands have belonged to China for centuries and this is not the first time that the UShas been involved.
At the end of its occupation of Okinawa in 1972, the US transferred the "administrative rights" ofthe Diaoyu Islands to Japan. They had been occupied by Japan until its defeat at the end of WorldWar II in 1945 and were then "administered" by the US. China has never recognized the deal "giving" them to Japan.
Washington remains neutral on the issue, but it "falls within Article 5 of the US-Japan SecurityTreaty", US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Thursday.
Li Hong, secretary-general of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, said the US-leddrill is increasing tension in the region and has shown Washington’s true colors despite its so-calledneutral stance over the issue.
Wang Fan, director of the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University, said the drills "will only escalate Tokyo’s tensions with its neighbors, instead of helping resolvethem".
Ties between China and Japan have been strained by Tokyo’s stance on the Diaoyu Islands since 2010 when a Chinese trawler captain was held by Japanese authorities for what Japanese called "illegal fishing" off the islands.
The ruling Democratic Party of Japan has used the Diaoyu Islands issue to boost wavering publicsupport, experts said.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced in July his cabinet’s plan to "nationalize" theislands, sparking protests from China.
"Tokyo is keen to use the drills to signal that Washington is on its side," said Ni Feng, a researcherof American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
The last week has seen Chinese activists and Japanese nationalists land on the islands.
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Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, parliamentary senior vice-minister of foreign affairs, is scheduled to visitBeijing this week, and analysts said the Diaoyu Islands dispute will be on his agenda.
Tokyo’s top lawmakers on Tuesday indicated a possible revision of laws to boost territorialsurveillance "in Japanese waters".
After announcing its shift of strategic emphasis back to the Asia-Pacific region, Washington is usingthe Diaoyu Islands issue as a chance to speed up its military revamp in the region, observers said.
The US and Japan agreed earlier this month on a proposed second revision of the Guidelines forJapan-US Defense Cooperation, a move believed to target China.
Washington has held a series of drills with its allies this year, including the US-Japan-Republic ofKorea drill in June and the Rim of the Pacific Drills 2012 that ended earlier this month. The US andJapan on Sunday held a joint exercise in Ooitaken, southwestern Japan.
Dragging Japan into its Asia-Pacific plans makes no sense for the US regarding a resolution of theterritorial issue, Li said.
"China will never concede on territorial issues," Li said. |
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发表于 2016-7-11 09:09:48