日本爲武器出口鬆綁 高端科技引發全球關注

In a bustling exhibition hall crowded with scale-model aircraft carriers, full-sized naval cannons and displays bearing industrial euphemisms for war, Japan on Thursday celebrated its coming-out as an international weapons exporter.

喧譁的展示大廳裏，充滿了按比例製作的航空母艦模型、全尺寸海軍炮、以及各種顯示着業內對“戰爭”委婉說法的顯示屏。週四，日本以這樣的方式，宣示着自己正在躋身進入國際軍火出口國之列。

The three-day Maritime Systems and Technology arms fair being staged in Yokohama is Japan’s first military trade show since the second world war and comes as defence budgets and tensions rise across the region. The event represented a moment in Japanese history “dreaded by some, but welcomed by others”, one participant noted.

爲期三天的橫濱海事系統及技術(Maritime Systems and Technology)軍火交易會，是二戰以來日本首次軍火貿易展。在日本推出這一軍火交易展之際，亞洲的防務預算及緊張態勢正日益增強。一名參會者指出，這次活動代表着日本歷史中“一些人恐懼而另外一些人歡迎”的時刻。

Since coming to power in 2012, Shinzo Abe, Japan’s nationalist prime minister, has pushed relentlessly to expand both the role and capabilities of the country’s Self Defence Force. As well as offering greater opportunities for international companies to sell arms to Japan, Mr Abe has engineered rule changes that reduce historical limitations on weapons exports in place since 1945.

自2012年掌權以來，日本持民族主義立場的首相安倍晉三(Shinzo Abe)一直在不遺餘力地提升日本自衛隊(Self Defence Force)的作用及戰鬥力。除了爲跨國公司創造更多向日本出售武器的機會，安倍還策劃了一系列法規上的改革，降低了自1945年以來長期存在的對日本武器出口的限制。

As the multinational crowds of arms salesmen and uniformed military personnel gathered in Yokohama on Thursday, the Japanese cabinet approved draft legislation that would bolster the military and permit Japan to fight abroad for the first time since the end of the second world war. Speaking at a press conference afterwards, Mr Abe said the changes would enhance deterrence and “decrease the risk of war”.

週四，就在各國軍火銷售人員及穿着制服的各國軍方人員齊聚橫濱的同時，日本內閣通過了加強軍事力量的立法草案，該草案將在二戰以來首次允許自衛隊在海外作戰。在隨後的記者招待會上，安倍表示這些改革會加強日本威懾能力，“降低戰爭風險”。

The move — and Japan’s decision to host a fair where the focus is on maritime defence — come against a background of a more assertive China, whose $100bn defence budget and territorial claims in the East and South China Seas have rattled neighbouring countries.

日本的上述舉措及決定主辦聚焦於海上防禦的軍火交易會，背景是中國愈發強硬的立場，中國1000億美元的國防預算、以及在東中國海(East China Sea)和南中國海(South China Sea)的領土訴求，已讓其鄰國感到害怕。

Nonetheless, the new laws are unpopular in Japan — a recent poll for JNN showed only 36 per cent of the public in favour — and in Yokohama, Japanese delegates better known for consumer electronics and civilian vehicles, including Hitachi, NEC and Mitsubishi, appeared awkward in their role as the public face of military hardware sales.

不過，日本內閣的新法律在日本並不受歡迎。最近，日本新聞網(JNN)一項調查顯示，只有36%的公衆支持這些新法律。而在橫濱，日本更爲知名的是他們作爲消費點在和民用汽車的一面，包括日立、NEC及三菱(Mitsubishi)等，而作爲銷售軍事裝備的公衆面孔似乎有點尷尬。

Some sought to soften the blow with displays mixing images of their “security and safety solutions” with pictures of sleeping children and toy animals. Others were at pains to play down the prospects for significant military exports over the next half decade.

會展上一些人試圖軟化這種形象轉變帶來的衝擊，他們在顯示屏上把他們的“防務與安全解決方案”和熟睡的兒童及動物玩具的照片放在一起。其他人則費盡心思地淡化今後五年日本大量軍事出口的前景。

The decades-long embargo has forced Japanese manufacturers to produce their military hardware in isolation and with the tough economics of having their own military as sole customer.

持續數十年的軍售禁令迫使日本製造商始終在一種孤立的環境下生產軍事裝備。它們還面臨一種經濟上的嚴苛環境——日本軍方是它們的唯一客戶。

Takayuki Saito, a senior manager at Japan Marine United, which produces cruise ships, oil tankers and Aegis destroyers, said that at this stage, the purpose of exhibiting at the fair was merely to gauge international interest in what Japan had to offer. “There will be small steps. Then more small steps,” he added.

日本海事聯合公司(Japan Marine United)是一家生產遊輪、油輪及宙斯盾驅逐艦的企業。該公司高管Takayuki Saito表示，在目前這個階段，參與此次交易會展覽的目的，僅僅是爲了考察國際社會對日本所提供產品的興趣。他補充說：“事情會一步一步慢慢來。”

International companies attempting to promote their products to Japan, with its $40bn defence budget, face different challenges. Salesmen at BAE Systems, hoping to convince Japan’s coastguard to buy a Mk4 automated 40mm cannon, noted the country has historically been a conservative customer and would be unlikely to buy any new weapon not already in use elsewhere. The cannon was duly emblazoned with the phrase “Selected by the Brazilian navy” in Japanese.

那些企圖向400億防務預算的日本推銷產品的跨國公司，則面臨不同挑戰。BAE系統公司(BAE Systems)銷售人員指出，長期以來日本一直是一個十分保守的客戶，不太可能購買任何未在其他地方使用過的新型武器。這些銷售人員希望能說服日本海岸警衛隊購買一款40毫米口徑的Mk4自動火炮。在這款火炮上，廠商用日語恰如其分地標註了“曾被巴西海軍選購”的字樣。