美國轟炸機飛越中國防空識別區

A pair of American B52 bombers flew across the disputed islands in the East China Sea on Monday, just days after China claimed the area as its own “air defence identification zone.”

兩架美國B-52轟炸機週一飛過東海爭議島嶼上空。就在幾天前，中國剛剛宣佈該區域爲“防空識別區”。

In what appeared to be a direct challenge to the Chinese claim, the Pentagon said that the flights were a long-planned training mission and insisted that the US would continue to operate in what it considers to be international air space.

這次行動明顯是對中國的直接挑戰，五角大樓(Pentagon)表示，此次飛行屬於早就列入訓練計劃的任務，同時堅稱美國將繼續在其認爲的國際空域執行任務。

The Chinese were not informed of the flights.

此次飛行並未告知中方。

The Chinese defence ministry said on Saturday that it would establish the air zone over the group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea in order to protect its territorial rights. Beijing also insisted that it would take “defensive emergency measures” against aircraft which entered the zone without identifying themselves.

上週六，中國國防部表示將在東海這個無人居住的羣島上空建立防空識別區，以保護中國的領土主權。中國政府還堅稱，對於進入該區域而未確認自己身份的飛機將採取“防禦性緊急處置措施”。

The Chinese claim is part of a broader push by Beijing to assert greater control over the seas that surround it and to push back against American influence in the western Pacific where the US Navy has been dominant since the end of the second world war.

從更大範圍上說，中國此舉是其整體努力的一部分，目的是對本國海岸線外的海洋施加更大控制，逼退美國在西太平洋的影響力。自二戰結束以來，美國海軍一直在西太平洋地區佔據霸主地位。

China has also taken a more aggressive stance in recent years in defence of its claims over a series of disputed islands in the South China Sea, which are also claimed by Vietnam and the Philippines, among others.

近年來，中國在宣示其對南海一系列有爭議島嶼的主權主張方面也採取了更爲咄咄逼人的姿態。越南、菲律賓等其他國家也宣稱擁有這些島嶼的主權。

The announcement of the new air zone could aggravate the already tense dispute with Japan over the islands in the East China Sea, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

劃設防空識別區可能加劇中日之間圍繞東海這個羣島本已十分緊張的爭端。該羣島在日本被稱爲尖閣諸島(Senkaku)，在中國被稱爲釣魚島及其附屬島嶼。

The US, which has a longstanding defence treaty with Japan, has sharply criticised the Chinese decision. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Tuesday that Beijing’s announcement was “unnecessarily inflammatory” and that it could have a “destabilising impact on the region”.

對於中國這一決定，與日本簽有長期安保協議的美國發表了尖銳批評。白宮發言人喬希?歐內斯特(Josh Earnest)週二表示，中國方面的宣佈“毫無必要地具有煽動性”，並可能“造成破壞整個地區穩定的影響”。

Chuck Hagel, the US defence secretary, issued a strongly-worded statement within hours of the Chinese announcement at the weekend, accusing China of launching “a destabilising attempt to alter the status quo in the region”.

上週末，在中國發表聲明幾小時之後，美國國防部長查克?哈格爾(Chuck Hagel)發表一份措辭強硬的聲明，譴責中國做出“一種不利於穩定的企圖，目的是改變地區現狀”。

He said China’s “unilateral” announcement would increase “the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculations” and insisted that the Pentagon would not “in any way change how the United States conducts military operations in the region.”

他表示中方的“單邊”聲明會加大“誤解和誤判的風險”，並堅稱五角大樓不會“以任何方式改變美國在該地區執行軍事任務的方式”。

Although the US officially does not have a position on the sovereignty dispute over the islands, Mr Hagel added that the US mutual defence treaty with Japan did include the Senkaku Islands – an indication that the US would intervene on the Japanese side if there were ever a conflict over the islands.

儘管美國對東海爭議島嶼主權之爭沒有正式立場，但哈格爾專門指出，《美日安保條約》確實覆蓋尖閣諸島。這表明，一旦發生圍繞該羣島的衝突，美國將站在日本一方出手干預。

Japan has also sharply criticised the Chinese announcement. Speaking on Monday, prime minister Shinzo Abe said that the Chinese attempt to restrict air traffic in the region was “unenforceable” and that it was “of no validity whatsoever to Japan”.

日本也對中方聲明發表了尖銳批評。日本首相安倍晉三(Shinzo Abe)週一在講話中表示，中國試圖限制該區域空中交通的企圖是“無法執行的”，“對我國完全無效”。

However, the Japanese government’s position was somewhat undermined after the country’s biggest commercial airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, said that they were already complying with Beijing’s new rules by notifying the Chinese authorities of flights through the disputed area.

然而，全日空(All Nippon Airways)和日本航空(Japan Airlines)表示他們已遵循中國政府新規定，向中國官方通報了飛越爭議區域的航班信息。這在一定程度上削弱了日本政府的立場。