日本政府正式決定購買釣魚島

The Japanese government made a formal decision to buy islands at the center of a dispute with China, a move to prevent the islands from ending up in Japanese nationalists' hands but one that provoked an angry response from Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

日本政府已正式決定購買中日爭議島嶼，此舉目的在於防止爭議島嶼落入日本民族主義者手中，但引發了中國國務院總理溫家寶的強烈不滿。

Japan's chief government spokesman said it had agreed with the islands' private owners to purchase them, stressing it was in line with the government's policy of maintaining control of the islands in a 'peaceful and stable' manner.

日本內閣官房長官說，日本政府已經與私人島主就購島事宜達成了協議。他強調說，此舉符合政府以和平穩定的方式維護對這些島嶼控制權的政策。

'The government has been renting the islands since fiscal 2002 to keep them under peaceful control. But since the current private owners intended to put them on the market, we've decided to buy them,' Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told a regular news conference.

日本內閣官房長官藤村修(Osamu Fujimura)在例行記者會上說：自2002財年以來政府就租下了這些島嶼，以使之處於和平的控制中；但現在的私人島主打算將島嶼出售，於是我們決定購買這些島嶼。

On Tuesday, the cabinet approved the funding for the purchase, Mr. Fujimura said, adding that the ¥2.05 billion ($26 million) in funding would come from the government's reserve fund.

藤村修說，內閣週二批准了購島撥款，並稱這筆20.5億日圓（約合2,600萬美元）的款項將來自政府的預備金。

He also said that Japan and China have been in contact on the issue.

他還說，日本和中國在這件事情上一直保持着聯繫。

'Both governments have been communicating closely through diplomatic channels to avoid misunderstandings and unforeseen incidents' pertaining to the situation, Mr. Fujimura said. 'We do not wish for this matter to adversely affect the bilateral relationship.'

藤村修說，兩國政府一直在通過外交途徑密切溝通，以免發生誤解和始料未及的事件；我們不希望此事對兩國關係產生負面影響。

In addition, Japan has sent its most senior diplomat in charge of relations with China to Beijing, a government official said. The diplomat, Shinsuke Sugiyama, director-general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is scheduled to return tomorrow.

除此以外，一位政府官員說，日本已派遣負責對華關係的最高級別外交官前往北京。這名外交官是外務省亞洲及大洋洲事務局局長杉山晉輔(Shinsuke Sugiyama)，按計劃他將於明天回國。

The move to buy the islands prompted anger from the highest levels of the Chinese leadership, with Mr. Wen saying late Monday that the islands-controlled by Japan, which calls them the Senkaku, but claimed by China and Taiwan; they're called Diaoyu in Chinese-are an inalienable part of China's territory. He said China would 'absolutely make no concession' on issues concerning its sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.

此舉引發了中國最高領導層的強烈不滿。溫家寶週一晚間說，釣魚島是中國領土不可分割的一部分。據新華社報道，溫家寶說，在主權和領土問題上，中國政府和人民絕不會退讓半步。爭議島嶼目前由日本控制，但中國大陸和臺灣也聲稱對其擁有主權，這些島嶼在日本被稱爲“尖閣列島”(Senkaku)，中文稱之爲“釣魚島”(Diaoyu)。

The Japanese central government decided to buy the islands after Tokyo's nationalist governor, Shintaro Ishihara, said the city was negotiating such a purchase. Mr. Ishihara had proposed building facilities on the islands, including a port, to fend off landings by Chinese activists opposing Japanese control.

在日本中央政府決定購買爭議島嶼之前，東京都知事、民族主義者石原慎太郎(Shintaro Ishihara)曾說，東京都正在與島主協商購島事宜。石原慎太郎提議在島上修建包括港口在內的設施，以防止反對日本控制這些島嶼的中國活動人士登島。

Japanese officials have said the central government's purchase plans are aimed at preventing nationalists such as Mr. Ishishara from seizing control of the islands, a move which would be certain to further inflame nationalistic sentiment in China.A team from the Tokyo metropolitan government this month conducted a survey of the islands from surrounding waters.

日本官員一直說，中央政府的購島計劃旨在防止石原慎太郎這樣的民族主義者掌握島嶼的控制權。如果石原慎太郎掌握了爭議島嶼的控制權，無疑將進一步加劇中國的民族主義情緒。東京都政府的一個小組本月早些時候從周邊海域對爭議島嶼進行了調查。

The central government and the owner had agreed on the purchase Friday, Mr. Fujimura said, although he declined to comment on the price.

藤村修說，日本中央政府和島主上週五已經就購島事宜達成協議，不過他拒絕透露價格。一位曾參與購島談判的政府官員上週說，可能的價格將會是20.5億日圓（合2,600萬美元），並且說政府不會尋求在島上進行任何開發項目。

A government official involved in the negotiations said last week the government wouldn't pursue any development on the islands.

此外，藤村修還對日本政府購島決定可能會令中日關係惡化的看法不予理會，他重申這些島嶼不存在領土爭端問題。

Mr. Fujimura also shrugged off views that the decision may worsen ties with China, reiterating that no territorial dispute exists over the islands. 'This is a domestic matter which should not trigger any diplomatic issues,' he said.

藤村修說，這是一個國內問題，不應引發任何外交爭端。

Earlier Monday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said the country would take 'necessary measures' to protect what it believes is its territory following the Japanese government's announcement. The spokesman, Hong Lei, didn't specify what measures the country would take, and reiterated Beijing's stance that any unilateral moves by Japan over the islands are 'illegal and invalid.'

在日本政府宣佈購島消息後，週一早些時候中國外交部發言人洪磊說，中國將採取必要措施維護國家領土主權。他沒有詳述中國將採取哪些措施，只是強調了北京方面的立場，即日本對釣魚島及其附屬島嶼採取的任何單方面措施都是非法、無效的。

It is unclear whether China will escalate its response beyond the standard rhetoric. The Chinese government is trying to maintain a diplomatic status quo ahead of a sensitive, once-a-decade leadership transition set to begin later this year.

目前尚不清楚中國是否會在這套標準辭令之外進一步加強對事態作出的反應。中國政府目前正試圖在今年晚些時候領導人換屆選舉之前保持外交現狀。每10年一次的換屆選舉在中國極爲敏感。

But the spat prevented a formal meeting between the two nations' leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Vladivostok, Russia, this weekend. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Chinese President Hu Jintao only held a 15-minute discussion Sunday on the sidelines of the forum.

但是，中日島嶼之爭導致雙方領導人未能在上週末亞太國家峯會上舉行正式會晤。在週日於俄羅斯符拉迪沃斯託克舉行的亞太經濟合作組織峯會期間，日本首相野田佳彥(Yoshihiko Noda)與中國國家主席胡錦濤僅在會議間隙進行了15分鐘的會談。

While the two sides agreed not to disclose the contents of the talks, Xinhua said Mr. Hu had told Mr. Noda he was against nationalization of the disputed islands, and that he believed the move would be invalid.

雖然中日兩國同意不披露會談內容，但新華社報道稱，胡錦濤對野田佳彥說，他反對日本將爭議島嶼國有化，他認爲此舉是無效的。

China appeared to take a small step Monday to ratchet up economic pressure on Japan. At a news conference, Dong Yang, secretary-general of the state-backed China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, linked slowing sales of Japanese cars to the diplomatic tussle.

爲增加對日本的經濟壓力，週一中國似乎邁出了一小步。受政府支持的中國汽車工業協會(Association of Automobile Manufacturers)祕書長董揚在新聞發佈會上表示，日系車在華銷量放緩與中日外交衝突有關。

'I don't want to comment much, but I guess Japanese brands' sales slowed in August mostly due to the Diaoyu issue,' Mr. Dong said.

董揚說：我不想做過多評論，但我猜測日本品牌汽車8月份在華銷量放緩的主要原因是釣魚島問題。

Sales of Nissan Motor Co. -1.74% vehicles in China slowed slightly in August, said Kimiyasu Nakamura, president of Dongfeng Nissan, on Saturday. The company sold 95,200 cars in China in August, compared with 98,100 in July.

東風日產(Dongfeng Nissan)總裁中村公泰(Kimiyasu Nakamura)上週六說，日產汽車(Nissan Motor Co.)8月份在華銷量放緩。該公司8月份在華售出汽車95,200輛，低於7月份的98,100輛。

Despite frequent eruptions of anti-Japanese sentiment in China, Japan has tried to keep tensions under control with its biggest trading partner. This contrasts with Japan's tough stance toward South Korea, an economic rival, with which it also has a territorial dispute.

儘管中國國內頻繁爆發反日情緒，但日本一直試圖讓自己與這個最大貿易伙伴的緊張關係處於控制之中。相比之下，日本在對韓國這個經濟對手的態度上就較爲強硬。日韓兩國也有領土之爭。

'It's not in the interest of either Japan or China to let this situation adversely affect the overall relationship between the two countries,' Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said in a recent interview.

日本外務大臣玄葉光一郎(Koichiro Gemba)近日接受採訪時說，讓這種局勢對日中兩國的整體關係造成負面影響，這不符合雙方的利益。

In September 2010, China strongly protested after Japan filed charges against a Chinese fishing boat captain involved in a collision with Japanese coast guard vessels near the islands.

2010年9月，中國一艘漁船在釣魚島附近和日本海岸警衛隊船隻相撞，日本對中國漁船船長提起訴訟，中國對此表示強烈抗議。

Tensions flared again last month when activists from Hong Kong landed on one of the islands. Japanese officials didn't press charges and instead deported the members.

上月，香港活動人士登上釣魚島後，中日關係再度緊張。日本官員這次沒有起訴登島者，而是將他們驅逐出境。