中日緊張關係促使日本增加國防開支

Japan has finalized plans to boost its defense spending by the most in nearly two decades as tensions between Tokyo and Beijing remain high from competing claims over a set of islands in the East China Sea.

由於圍繞東中國海(East China Sea, 中國稱東海)一系列島嶼的主權爭端導致中日關係持續緊張，日本敲定了近二十年來最大幅度增加國防開支的計劃。

Under a draft budget released Tuesday, the island nation plans to buy four F-35 fighter jets for Y68.3 billion and build a new destroyer for Y72.9 billion. The budget request also includes the purchase of three P-1 patrol aircraft for Y59.4 billion, four SH-60K patrol helicopters for Y24.2 billion and the construction of a new 2,900-ton submarine for Y51.7 billion.

週二公佈的預算草案顯示，日本計劃出資683億日圓購買四架F-35戰鬥機，並斥資729億日圓建造一艘新驅逐艦。預算草案的內容還包括斥資594億日圓購買三架P-1巡邏機，斥資242億日圓購買四架SH-60K巡邏直升機，並斥資517億日圓建造一艘新的2900噸級潛艇。

In total, the draft budget calls for $45.8 billion in spending in the fiscal year starting next April, up 2.2% from the current fiscal year.

這份預算草案預計始於明年4月的財年支出總計將達到458億美元，較當前財年增長2.2%。

Reflecting Japan's determination to counteract China's growing military presence in the region, the budget also calls for the formation of a new amphibious unit comparable to the U.S. Marines that could be tasked to retrieve islands captured by enemies, and allocates Y1.7 billion for the purchase of two sample amphibious vehicles to study its functional capabilities and 1.5 billion yen on amphibious training.

這份預算草案彰顯了日本遏制中國在該地區不斷擴大的軍事存在的決心。預算案還要求日本建立類似於美國海軍陸戰隊的新兩棲作戰部隊，任務可能是奪回敵方佔領的島嶼。該草案計劃撥出17億日圓購買兩輛兩棲突擊樣車來研究車輛功能，並劃撥15億日圓用於兩棲訓練。

The draft-budget also says Japan plans to set aside Y300 million for research on surveillance drones and tilt-rotor aircraft, with plans to appropriate them in the budget for the year starting April 2015.

預算草案還稱，日本還計劃撥出3億日圓用於無人偵察機和傾轉旋翼機的研究。日本計劃在始於2015年4月的財年預算中撥出相關款項。

The government approval of the draft budget follows the release of a new national security strategy and a defense program which set Y24.67 trillion in defense spending for the five years starting next April. It also comes weeks after China's declaration of a new air-defense zone which engulfs the disputed Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, which the Chinese call Diaoyu, a move that has heightened already strained territorial tensions.

日本政府此前公佈了一項新的國家安全策略以及一項國防計劃，將始於明年4月份的五年的國防開支定爲24.67萬億日圓。幾周前，中國宣佈在位於東海的爭議島嶼――日方稱爲尖閣列島(Senkaku Islands)，中方稱爲釣魚島――劃設了防空識別區，激化了業已緊張的領土爭端。

China has denounced Japan's move to ramp up military spending, with a defense ministry spokesman saying Friday that 'China is firmly opposed to Japan's relevant actions' which would increase regional tensions, according to the state-owned Xinhua news agency.

中國對日本擴大軍事開支的做法表示譴責。據新華社報道，國防部發言人上週五稱，日本的相關舉動會渲染地區緊張氣氛，中方對此表示堅決反對。

Since coming to power last December, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for raising the nation's military profile and revising Japan's pacifist constitution. On Monday, the government decided to provide 10,000 bullets to South Korean troops working as part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, the first time for Tokyo to provide arms to a foreign military since World War II.

自去年12月份上任後，日本首相安倍晉三(Shinzo Abe)一直呼籲提升日本的軍事影響力並修改和平憲法。日本政府週一決定向在南蘇丹執行聯合國(United Nations)維和任務的韓國軍隊提供10,000發子彈，這是日本政府自第二次世界大戰(World War II)以來首次向外國軍隊提供武器。

Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Monday that the decision to provide ammunition was unrelated to the government's plans to curb the nation's self-imposed ban on arms-exports.

防衛大臣小野寺五典(Itsunori Onodera)週一表示，向韓國軍隊提供子彈的決定與日本政府有關降低日本自己實施的武器出口禁令效力的計劃無關。

'It was an exceptional measure taken in an emergency,' he said.

他稱，這是在緊急情況下采取的特殊舉措。