勤兵養將:不明身份潛艇令日本提高警戒

Japan patrol craft spotted unidentified submarines just outside the country's territorial waters, prompting Tokyo to issue a warning that it may order security action if submersible craft enter its waters岸developments that could further aggravate strained ties with Beijing amid a territorial dispute.

日本巡邏機在該國領海外附近地區發現多艘不明身份的潛艇，東京隨後發出警告說，如果潛艇進入日本水域，日本政府可能下令採取保障安全的行動。事態的發展可能在中日領土爭端持續之際，進一步加劇東京與北京之間的緊張關係。

Japan's defense ministry said a submarine was spotted by a P-3C Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol aircraft Sunday night passing near Kume Island in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture in the East China Sea. The ministry said the submarine had left the area by Monday morning.

日本防衛省說，週日夜間，日本海上自衛隊的一架P-3C巡邏機在日本位於東中國海(East China Sea，中國稱東海)的沖繩縣久米島(Kume Island)附近發現一艘潛艇。防衛省說，週一早間前，這艘潛艇已離開該水域。

In a separate incident, another unidentified submarine was detected traveling west of Amami-Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture on May 2.

在另外一起事件中，今年5月2日，日本方面發現另外一艘不明身份的潛艇駛過鹿兒島縣奄美大島(Amami-Oshima)以西水域。

Japanese media said government officials believe the submarines were likely to have been Chinese. China's foreign ministry didn't respond to faxed questions seeking comment.

日本媒體說，政府官員認爲，潛艇可能是中國的。中國外交部沒有迴應記者請求置評的傳真。

While the submarines didn't violate international maritime law岸they didn't enter the 12-nautical-mile territorial waters near the areas in question岸their sightings rattled Japanese officials and led the government to issue a warning that an order deploying the military to maintain maritime security could be issued if submarines enter Japan's territorial waters.

儘管潛艇沒有違反國際海洋法──潛艇沒有進入爭議地區附近12海里寬的海域，但它們的出現令日本官員感到不安，政府隨後發出警告說，如果潛艇進入日被領海，日本政府將可能下令派遣軍隊維護日本的海洋安全。

'These are serious acts. If [submarines] enter our territorial waters while underwater, we would have to implement maritime security action,' Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told parliament Tuesday. Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said the government won't reveal information on the nationality of the submarines due to intelligence concerns.

日本首相安倍晉三(Shinzo Abe)週二對議會說，這些行爲都很嚴重；如果潛艇在水下進入我國領海，我們將必須採取保障海洋安全的行動。日本防衛大臣小野寺五典(Itsunori Onodera)說，由於情報方面的擔憂，政府不會透露有關潛艇國籍的信息。

Japan's top government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, said Monday that the two incidents were publicized as it was deemed 'worthy of attention.'

日本內閣官房長官菅義偉(Yoshihide Suga)週一說，這兩起事件被公開，是因爲此事值得引起注意。

While the Japan Coast Guard is responsible for protecting Japan's coastlines, the defense minister can order the Self-Defense Forces to be deployed for maritime security operations if the situation is considered beyond the coast guard's capabilities.

儘管日本海上保安廳負責保衛日本的海岸線，但如果局勢被認爲超出了海上保安廳的應對能力，那麼防衛大臣可以下令派遣自衛隊實施保障海上安全的軍事行動。

There have been two such occasions in the past around Japanese waters. In the first case in March 1999 the SDF chased two North Korean spy ships and fired warning shots after the ships were spotted off Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture.

過去，在日本海域附近發生過兩起這樣的事件。一起事件是在1999年3月，日本自衛隊在石川縣能登半島(Noto Peninsula)附近水域發現兩艘朝鮮間諜船，自衛隊進行驅逐並開槍示警。

The second incident took place in 2004 when a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine entered Japanese territorial waters near Okinawa Prefecture's Ishigaki Island. While international law calls on submarines to surface and raise their national flags when cruising in the territorial waters of a foreign nation, the submarine didn't.

另一起事件發生在2004年。當時，一艘中國核動力潛艇進入沖繩縣石垣島(Ishigaki Island)附近的日本領海。儘管按照國際法規定，一國潛艇在別國領海行駛時，必須浮上水面，並懸掛本國國旗，但中國潛艇卻沒有這樣做。

The sightings and warning follow months of renewed tension between Japan and China over a group of strategically important and resource-rich islands in the East China Sea, known as the Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese.

在此次潛艇事件和警告之前，中日因東中國海一組爭議島嶼而緊張關係再次升溫，且緊張局勢已經持續了數月時間。爭議島嶼具有重要戰略價值且資源豐富，在日本被稱爲尖閣列島(Senkaku)，在中國被稱爲釣魚島。

On Monday, the Japan Coast Guard said three Chinese maritime surveillance vessels entered Japanese territorial waters near the islands. The incident prompted Shinsuke Sugiyama, director general of the foreign ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, to lodge a protest with China through its minister to Japan, Han Zhiqiang.

週一，日本海上保安廳說，三艘中國海監船進入爭議島嶼附近的日本領海。此事促使日本外務省亞洲及大洋洲事務局局長杉山晉輔(Shinsuke Sugiyama)通過中國駐日公使韓志強向中方提出了抗議。

A coast guard official said Tuesday that the intrusions brought the number of days this year that Chinese ships have entered Japanese waters near the islands to 24 days, surpassing the total of 23 days Chinese vessels entered territorial waters last year.

一位日本海上保安廳官員週二說，這次中國海監船進入日本領海後，今年中國船隻進入爭議島嶼附近日本海域的天數增加到了24天，超過了去年全年中國船隻進入日本領海的天數（23天）。

The territorial dispute between Tokyo and Beijing flared up again last September when the Japanese government bought three islands in the chain from their private owners, prompting a wave of anti-Japan protests across China. Tensions escalated further in January when Tokyo said a Chinese warship locked weapons-controlling radar on a Japanese ship and helicopter.

中日領土爭端去年9月再次升溫。當時日本政府從私人島主手裏買下了爭議島嶼中的三座島嶼，引發中國各地掀起了反日抗議浪潮。今年1月，東京說，一艘中國海軍艦艇用火控雷達鎖定日本艦機，中日緊張關係進一步加劇。