尖閣国有化へ 安定管理への具体的方策を

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Sep. 7, 2012)
Govt should work out specifics for stable control of Senkakus
尖閣国有化へ　安定管理への具体的方策を（9月6日付・読売社説）

The government's decision to place the Senkaku Islands under state control is a step toward stably maintaining and controlling the islets.
　尖閣諸島を安定的に維持・管理するうえで一歩前進である。

The government reportedly has agreed with the owner of three of the islands--Uotsurijima, Kita-kojima and Minami-kojima--that it will purchase them. The money to buy them, totaling about 2.05 billion yen, is likely to be procured from a reserve fund.
　政府が、尖閣諸島の魚釣島と北小島、南小島の３島について、地権者と売買契約を結ぶことで合意した。約２０億５０００万円の購入費用は予備費から支出する方針だ。

Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara's proactive steps to jump-start the purchase negotiations with the owner apparently prompted the central government, which had been dragging its feet on the issue, to make such a move. Ishihara has expressed his willingness to accept state control of the islands and hand over to the central government more than 1.4 billion yen that was donated to the Tokyo metropolitan government to buy them.
　政府が重い腰を上げたのは、東京都の石原慎太郎知事が地権者との買い上げ交渉を進めたからである。石原氏も国有化を容認し、都が募った１４億円を超える寄付金を政府に渡す意向を示している。

The central government sold the islands to the private sector 80 years ago, and the ownership has changed hands since then. We highly regard efforts to put the islands back under state control as it will end the current instability connected with private ownership.
　尖閣諸島は８０年前に政府が民間に払い下げてから、譲渡によって所有者が交代している。国有化で不安定な個人所有からようやく脱することは評価すべきだ。

The government has leased the three islets from the current owner and placed them under its effective control. It has since conducted minimum administrative work for the islets by restricting entry to government officials and other such parties.
　政府は現在、３島を地権者から賃借し、管理下に置いている。政府関係者以外の立ち入りを規制して、最低限の管理業務だけを行ってきた。

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Consideration for China

Such a hesitant stance was taken apparently because the government did not want to provoke China, which also claims sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands.
　領有権を主張する中国を刺激したくないとの配慮からだろう。

However, China's fishery patrol boats have repeatedly engaged in provocative acts near the Senkakus. Public criticism against Japan has also grown in China over the issue.
　だが、中国の漁業監視船は、尖閣周辺で挑発行為を繰り返している。中国内の世論でも、尖閣問題で日本批判が強まっている。

Japan needs not only to renovate a lighthouse and protect the environment on the islands but also to draw up measures to protect its sovereignty and further tighten its effective control of the islands.
　政府は灯台の改修、環境保護はもとより、領土保全と実効支配を一段と強めるための方策を練っていく必要があろう。

Ishihara and the city government of Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, which has jurisdiction over the islands, have called on the central government to build facilities there, such as port facilities that can shelter fishing boats during bad weather and a radio relay station for fishing vessels. The central government should look into the validity of such calls and, if necessary, consider working out the details.
　石原氏や地元の沖縄県石垣市は、荒天時に備えた漁船の避難港や、漁業無線の中継基地の設置などを求めている。政府はその妥当性を判断し、必要なら具体化を検討すべきである。

We believe it would be reasonable for the central government to cooperate with the Tokyo metropolitan government, which has the know-how to manage remote islands such as the Ogasawara Islands.
　小笠原諸島などで離島管理のノウハウを持っている都との連携を図ることも一案ではないか。

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Strengthen sea surveillance

Meanwhile, the nation needs to strengthen the Japan Coast Guard's policing system and its authority to beef up surveillance of the Senkaku Islands. A bill to revise the Japan Coast Guard Law, which was approved during the current Diet session, is part of such efforts.
　尖閣諸島の警戒監視を強化するには、海上保安庁の体制と権限の拡充が必要だ。今国会で成立した改正海上保安庁法は、その一つの手立てである。

Previously, when foreigners landed illegally on the Senkakus, police officers had to come all the way from neighboring islets. But under the revised law, JCG officers will be allowed to arrest such intruders.
　外国人が不法上陸した場合、従来は近隣の島から警察官を運ぶ必要があったが、施行後は、海上保安官が検挙できるようになる。

Also, we must not forget the importance of the U.S. military's deterrence. If the military's new Osprey transport aircraft is deployed in Okinawa Prefecture, the mobility of U.S. marines will be improved, raising hopes of holding China in check.
　米軍の抑止力の重要性も忘れてはならない。新型輸送機オスプレイが沖縄に配備されれば、米海兵隊の機動性は高まり、中国をけん制する効果が期待できる。

Anti-Japan activists based in Hong Kong reportedly have vowed to make an unauthorized landing on the Senkakus again in October. If Hong Kong authorities allow them to set out for the islands, the Japan-China relationship would worsen and the move would go against China's own interests.
　香港の反日活動家は１０月に再び不法上陸する構えだ。香港当局が尖閣諸島への出航を許せば、日中関係を揺るがし、中国にも不利益をもたらすことになるだろう。

If Japanese and Chinese leaders hold a summit meeting on the sideline of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit talks this weekend, they should discuss the future bilateral relationship from a broad point of view.
　週末のアジア太平洋経済協力会議（ＡＰＥＣ）首脳会議の際、日中首脳会談が開かれれば、両国首脳は大局的観点に立って日中関係の将来を話し合うべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 6, 2012)
（2012年9月6日01時33分 読売新聞）