中國將在吉布提建首個海外軍事基地

China is set to install “a few thousand” troops and staff at its first ever overseas military base, the first permanent overseas deployment by Chinese armed forces.

中國將在有史以來的首個海外軍事基地部署“幾千名”作戰人員和工作人員，這是中國武裝部隊第一次在海外部署永久性力量。

The new naval facility will sit in the same city as America’s own sprawling African military headquarters in Djibouti, the Horn of Africa country where the US has a 4,500-strong base running counter-terrorism operations across the region. Japan, which also has its only overseas military base in Djibouti, already faces a tense stand-off with China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

新的海軍基地將與美國龐大的吉布提非洲駐軍總部處於同一座城市裏。在位於“非洲之角”的吉布提，美國擁有一處駐紮着4500人的基地，執行地區反恐作戰任務。日本唯一的海外軍事基地也在吉布提。日本和中國已因東中國海領土爭端而陷入緊張對峙。

The move underscores concerns that China, historically inward-looking and non-interventionist, is making a policy shift to assert itself as a global military power. Djibouti occupies a vital strategic position at the southern entrance to the Red Sea from the Indian Ocean, with 30 per cent of the world’s shipping passing close by.

中國此舉加劇了人們的擔心：向來着眼國內、對外採取不干預態度的中國，開始轉變政策，把自己確立爲一個全球軍事強國。吉布提佔據着由印度洋通往紅海的南部入口，戰略位置至關重要，經由此地附近的航運量佔到全球總量的30%。

China has already vowed to near-quadruple its contribution to global peacekeeping operations, to 8,000 troops, and is explicitly building up aircraft and submarine capabilities in pursuit of what it frames as a new responsibility to help assure global peace and stability.

中國已誓言把其對全球維和行動的貢獻提高近三倍，將維和常備部隊增至8000人，並公開加強飛機和潛艇實力，以履行其所稱的幫助確保全球和平與穩定的新責任。

So far China has said little about its own intentions in Djibouti, referring to the project in low-key terms such as characterising the new base as “logistical facilities” for naval rest and resupply, including for its contribution to anti-piracy operations. It has offered no information on staffing numbers.

迄今爲止，中國對吉布提基地的目的所說甚少，提到吉布提軍事設施時非常低調，比如把新基地稱爲供海軍休整與補給的“後勤設施”，其功能包括爲打擊海盜的行動提供支援。中國並未提供有關新基地人員數量的任何信息。

But in an interview with the Financial Times, Djibouti’s foreign minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf for the first time spelt out the likely scale of China’s presence in the small, strategically important country that sits at the mouth of Bab el-Mandeb Staits that lead to the Suez Canal.

但在接受英國《金融時報》採訪時，吉布提外長馬哈茂德•阿里•優素福(Mahmoud Ali Youssouf)首次披露了中國在這個小國的軍事存在的可能規模。吉布提面積雖小，但地理位置具有戰略重要性，位於通往蘇伊士運河(Suez Canal)的曼德海峽(Bab el-Mandeb Staits)入口處。

While the US in 2014 agreed to nearly double the rate it pays Djibouti to $63m a year to rent its site, Mr Youssouf told the FT that China will pay Djibouti $20m a year for their location, with likely “a few thousands” of military and administrative personnel. Mr Youssouf said the Chinese, like the US, signed a 10-year contract with an option to extend for a further 10 years.

2014年，美國同意把付給吉布提的軍事基地年租金增加近一倍，至6300萬美元。優素福告訴英國《金融時報》，中國每年向吉布提支付的基地租金將達2000萬美元，基地可能駐紮“幾千名”作戰人員和行政人員。優素福表示，中國跟美國一樣，與吉布提簽訂了10年期合同，並擁有續簽10年的選擇權。

“The terms of the contract and agreement are very clear and they are the same for each and every country that requested military presence in Djibouti,” Mr Youssouf said. He added the main purpose was for China to use the naval base to protect its national interest — monitoring its merchant vessels passing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and for naval refuelling and restocking.

“合同與協議的條款寫得清清楚楚，對每個請求在吉布提部署軍事存在的國家都是相同的，”優素福說。他接着表示，中國的主要目的是使用該海軍基地保護自己的國家利益——監控通過曼德海峽的中國商船，以及進行海軍燃料和物資的補給。

Tom Kelly, US ambassador to Djibouti, told the FT that managing the existence of both a US and a Chinese base in the same country “will be a challenge for all involved”. Concerns range from eavesdropping on activities at the US base, much of whose wide-ranging anti-terror operations are covert, to fears China may develop a string of bases to give them strategic control over waterways leading into Europe.

美國駐吉布提大使湯姆•凱利(Tom Kelly)向英國《金融時報》表示，對部署在同一國家內的美中兩國軍事基地進行管控，對“有關各方來說都將是一次挑戰”。人們的擔憂包括美國基地活動被竊聽（美軍範圍廣泛的反恐行動大多是祕密進行的）、中國或許會發展一系列基地對進入歐洲的水道進行戰略控制等等。

Mr Youssouf said that China, which is scheduled to build a second major airport in the country, would have as much right to use drones as the US and French.

優素福稱，中國計劃在吉布提建設新的大型機場，並將擁有與美國和法國相同的使用無人機的權利。

“The Americans have enough technology, enough fighter aircraft, enough drones [here] to control each and every piece of this land and even beyond,” said Mr Youssouf. “Why should the Chinese not have the right to also use those materials . . . to preserve and protect their interest in the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb. Why?”

“美國人（在這裏）擁有足夠的技術、足夠的戰鬥機、足夠的無人機來控制這裏乃至更多地區的每一寸土地，”優素福稱，“中國人爲什麼不該擁有同樣的、使用這些資源的權利……來維持和保護他們在曼德海峽的利益？爲什麼？”

China’s foreign ministry declined to respond to requests for comment on the terms of the new base.

中國外交部拒絕迴應就新基地相關問題置評的請求。

China has instead framed the coming base in terms of an effort to showcase itself as a rising but responsible global player, supporting existing anti-piracy patrols and peacekeeping missions on the African continent, which is a hub for Chinese investments. China has sent navy ships to patrol the Gulf of Aden off Djibouti and Somalia since 2008, the first time China had sent naval ships on a mission outside its territorial waters in more than 600 years.

相反，中國有關這座新基地的措辭旨在展示自己是新興但負責的全球事務參與者，爲現有的反海盜巡邏和非洲大陸上的維和任務提供支持。非洲大陸是中國的投資集中地。2008年以來，中國派遣了海軍艦隻在距吉布提和索馬里不遠的亞丁灣(Gulf of Aden)巡邏，這是逾600年以來中國首次派遣海軍艦隻在其領海以外地區執行任務。

Last November, a spokesperson said of the proposed naval “support facility” that it “will help China’s military further carry out its international responsibilities to safeguard global and regional peace and stability”.

去年11月，一名發言人稱，擬建的海軍“保障設施”“對於中國軍隊有效履行國際義務，維護國際和地區和平穩定具有積極作用”。

Mr Youssouf and senior port officials said the base would combine a naval jetty and fenced-off location at the same site as the capital’s forthcoming Doraleh Multipurpose Port, still under construction. The new port is part-financed and part-owned by China Merchants Holding, a part state-owned company and the largest public port operator in China.

優素福及港口高級官員稱，該基地將與吉布提首都即將建成的多哈雷多功能港(Doraleh Multipurpose Port)位於相同地點，既有海軍碼頭也有隔離場所。多哈雷多功能港由中國招商局國際有限公司(China Merchants Holdings)提供部分資金、並持有部分股權。招商局國際爲部分國有，是中國最大的公共港口運營商。

China is also set to lend more than $1bn at non-concessional rates for other infrastructure projects to help transform Djibouti’s $1.5bn economy, including a water pipeline and a new railway link with landlocked, populous Ethiopia.

中國還將爲其他基礎設施項目提供逾10億美元的非優惠利率貸款，幫助吉布提總值15億美元的經濟實現轉型。相關項目包括給水管道，以及連接吉布提和內陸人口大國埃塞俄比亞的新鐵路。