中国国防白書 危険過ぎる習政権の強軍路線

The Yomiuri Shimbun April 23, 2013
Xi administration's 'strong army' policy ramps up Chinese threat
中国国防白書　危険過ぎる習政権の強軍路線（4月22日付・読売社説）

The Chinese administration of Xi Jinping has reiterated its intention to push ahead with a "strong army" policy. This policy centers on building China into a maritime power.
　中国の習近平政権が、「強軍路線」を推進していく姿勢を改めて強調した。核となるのは「海洋強国化」である。

In its biennial defense white paper released last week, Beijing declared: "It is an essential national development strategy to exploit, utilize and protect the seas and oceans, and build China into a maritime power. It is an important duty for the PLA (People's Liberation Army) to resolutely safeguard China's maritime rights and interests."
　中国は２年ぶりの国防白書で、「海洋強国の建設は国家の重要な発展戦略であり、断固として海洋権益を守ることが軍の重要な職責だ」と明記した。

The white paper also emphasized China has developed a policy of bolstering cooperation between its navy and the State Oceanic Administration's surveillance vessels and others.
海軍が国家海洋局の監視船などと連携を強めていく方針も打ち出した。

Senkakus remark disturbing

The white paper says China's first aircraft carrier, which was commissioned into the navy last year, has a "profound impact on building a strong People's Liberation Army's Navy and safeguarding maritime security."
　昨年、初の空母を就役させたことについて、「強大な海軍の建設と海上安全保障にとって深遠な意義がある」と指摘した。

There is no doubt China will accelerate efforts to augment its naval capabilities through such projects as building new aircraft carriers.
新たな空母建造など海軍力の増強を加速させるのは間違いない。

In Japan's eyes, China's expansion of its maritime strength is truly alarming.
　日本として、中国の海洋への膨張は警戒すべき動きだ。

What cannot be overlooked is the white paper's reference to the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. The report denounces Japan by name for "making trouble over the issue of the Diaoyu Islands," the Chinese name for the Senkakus. It opted not to mention such countries as Vietnam and the Philippines that have their own sovereignty issues with Beijing in the South China Sea.
　看過できないのは、沖縄県・尖閣諸島を巡って、白書が「日本が問題を作り出した」と名指しで非難したことだ。南シナ海で中国と対立するベトナムやフィリピンは国名を挙げていない。

Singling out Japan for condemnation is presumably designed to beef up China's military pressure with the aim of eroding Japan's effective control of the Senkakus.
　日本を際立たせたのは、軍事面で圧力を強め、尖閣の実効支配を切り崩す狙いがあるのだろう。

The Japanese government naturally lodged a protest with China, saying this country "can never accept any words and deeds based solely on China's own assertions."
　日本政府が「中国独自の主張に基づく言動は一切受け入れられない」と抗議したのは当然だ。

Waters surrounding the Senkakus have already seen stepped-up muscle-flexing by Chinese naval vessels. On Wednesday, the day after the white paper was released, a Chinese destroyer and a frigate sailed in the vicinity of the Senkakus.
　尖閣周辺海域では中国海軍艦艇の示威行動がすでに活発化している。白書発表翌日の１７日も、駆逐艦とフリゲート艦が航行した。

Fears are rising that provocations involving Chinese naval vessels and surveillance ships could escalate.
　海軍艦艇と監視船が一体となった挑発行動の活発化が懸念される事態だ。

Japan, for its part, must increase its vigilance through cooperation with the United States while deepening collaboration between the Japan Coast Guard and the Self-Defense Forces.
日本は米国と協調し、海上保安庁と自衛隊の連携も深め、警戒に当たらねばならない。

Xi, who is general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, has said, "The great dream of the restoration of the nation of China is the dream of a country with a mighty military."
　習近平・中国共産党総書記は「中華民族の偉大な復興の夢とは強軍の夢だ」と語っている。

In January, a Chinese frigate locked its weapons-control radar on a Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel. Xi's hard-line posture might invite the Chinese military to take further extreme actions.
　１月には海自艦艇へのレーダー照射事件が起きた。習氏の強硬な姿勢は、中国軍のさらなる過激な行動を招きかねない。

On April 9, Xi inspected China's latest amphibious assault ship at a naval base on Hainan Island, southern China, and issued an order to the troops to "take to heart the goal of strengthening the army, and devote efforts to realize this goal." We find this remark deeply disturbing.
　習氏は今月９日、海南島の海軍基地で最新鋭の揚陸艦などを視察し、「強軍の目標を心に刻み、その実践に身をささげよ」と命じた。危惧すべき発言である。

Transparency still lacking

China tooted its own horn over the white paper, saying it had disclosed a breakdown of China's ground, naval and air forces. The paper, however, included not one iota of information about personnel in charge of strategic missile operations with nuclear capabilities, or the scale of China's armed police.
　中国は今回の白書について、陸海空軍など兵員数の内訳を公開したと自賛している。だが、核戦力を担う戦略ミサイル部隊や、武装警察部隊の規模などは一切明らかにしなかった。

The report has far fewer pages than a defense white paper published two years ago. Breakdowns of defense expenditures, such as living expenses of military members and equipment outlays, have been omitted this time.
　２年前の前回の白書に比べ、分量も大幅に減った。兵員生活費や装備費など国防費の内訳に関する記述もなくなった。

Although China's swelling defense budget intimidates the international community, the white paper gives no indication that China itself is aware of that.
　国防費の膨張が国際社会に脅威を与えているのに、その自覚が感じられないではないか。

Instead of concealing information, China has an obligation as a major power to enhance transparency of its military.
　隠蔽ではなく、透明性の向上こそが大国としての責任である。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 22, 2013)
（2013年4月22日01時45分 読売新聞）