日米外相会談 同盟深化の共同作業を怠るな

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Apr. 1, 2010)

To solve the base problem, mend fences with U.S. first
日米外相会談　同盟深化の共同作業を怠るな（3月31日付・読売社説）

To settle the dispute over where to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture, it is vital to steadily promote the joint process aimed at deepening the Japan-U.S. alliance.
　米軍普天間飛行場の移設問題を決着させるためにも、日米同盟を深化させる共同作業を着実に進めることが肝要だ。

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday and reaffirmed the Japanese government's goal of resolving the Futenma relocation issue by the end of May.
　岡田外相が米国のクリントン国務長官、ゲーツ国防長官と相次いで会談し、普天間問題について５月末までに解決する方針を改めて確認した。

Okada explained the Japanese government's relocation proposals, which comprise the options of moving the base's functions to a land-based section of Camp Schwab, which straddles Nago and Ginozason in the prefecture, and an offshore area of a U.S. naval facility in White Beach on the Katsuren Peninsula in Uruma, also in the prefecture.
　外相は、普天間飛行場の移設先として、米軍キャンプ・シュワブ陸上部やホワイトビーチ沖などを組み合わせた日本政府案を説明した。

But the United States is sticking to its position that the existing plan of relocating the Futenma functions to the coastal area of Camp Schwab is the best option.
しかし、米側は、シュワブ沿岸部の現行計画が最善とする立場を変えていない。

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Govt lacks a strategic vision

Since the launch of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's administration, the dispute over the Futenma relocation has taken twists and turns because of the prime minister's irresponsible statements and immature political style. But the government can no longer be allowed to postpone dealing with this problem.
　普天間問題は、鳩山政権の発足以来、首相の軽すぎる発言と未熟な政治手法などのため、迷走を続けてきた。これ以上の問題先送りは、もう許されない。

Because the government-proposed plans entail a number of problems, such as opposition from local governments concerned, it is advisable that the Hatoyama Cabinet not exclude the option of relocating the air station to the coastal area of Camp Schwab so the issue can be settled by the end of May as promised.
　政府案が地元自治体の反対など多くの問題を抱える以上、シュワブ沿岸案も排除せず、５月決着を実現することが求められる。

What is needed now to resolve the Futenma issue is the restoration of a relationship of trust between Japan and the United States.
　今、普天間問題の解決に必要なのは日米の信頼関係の回復だ。

A relationship of trust between the two countries cannot be nurtured with such superficial statements as "The Japan-U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of [Japan's] diplomacy," or "Trust me."
　２国間の信頼関係は、「日米同盟が外交の基軸」とか「トラスト・ミー（信頼して）」といった口先だけの発言では高まらない。

The realignment of U.S. forces stationed in Japan is essentially aimed at simultaneously attaining two goals--maintaining the deterrence capability of the U.S. forces and reducing the burdens on local governments and residents hosting U.S. military facilities.
　在日米軍再編の本来の目的は、米軍の抑止力の維持と、米軍基地による地元負担の軽減という二つの課題を両立させることだ。

But the Hatoyama administration has put too much emphasis on the second goal and lacks a strategic vision concerning how Japan and the United States should jointly deal with security issues in East Asia. This has resulted in growing suspicions and frustrations within the U.S. government over whether it can really regard Japan as its ally.
　だが、鳩山政権は、後者に偏重するあまり、「東アジアの安全保障情勢に日米がどう共同対処するか」という戦略的な視点を欠いている。それが、米政府内で「日本は本当に我々の同盟国なのか」という疑念や不満を呼んでいる。

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Build trust step by step

So what needs to be done?
　それでは、どうすべきか。

Current circumstances and future developments in China and North Korea need to be analyzed and evaluated, and the results of such studies shared by the two countries' leaders and ministers. In addition, discussions should be deepened on what forms of cooperation Japan and the United States should promote in both the diplomatic and defense fields.
　中国や北朝鮮の現状と将来を分析・評価し、首脳や閣僚が共通の認識を持つ。そのうえで、日米が外交、防衛の両面でどんな協力を進めるかの議論を深める。

As for issues taken up during Japan-U.S. foreign ministerial talks, such as Iran's nuclear ambitions and Myanmar's democratization movement, the two countries will need to discuss how they should work with other countries and put into action what has been agreed.
　外相会談で議題となったイランの核やミャンマーの民主化などの課題で、日米がいかに他国と連携するかを協議し、実行する。

Undertaking a series of such efforts will help restore the two countries' relationship of trust as allies. Only through such confidence-building measures will the two countries be able to make concessions on the points on which they can do so and find areas of compromise in such difficult negotiations as the Futenma relocation issue and the so-called sympathy budget, or the portion Japan pays of the cost of maintaining U.S. forces stationed in the country.
　こうした一連の取り組みが、同盟国としての日米の信頼回復につながる。その信頼があってこそ、普天間問題や在日米軍駐留経費の日本側負担（思いやり予算）の難交渉で、日米双方が譲るべきは譲り、妥協点を見いだせよう。

As Gates has pointed out, it will be difficult for the two countries to come up with a successful outcome in deepening the alliance to mark the 50th anniversary of the revised Japan-U.S. Security Treaty.
　ゲーツ長官が指摘したように、普天間問題の解決なしに、日米安保条約改定５０周年の同盟深化の作業が成果を生むのは難しい。

It is important for the two countries to prevent the Futenma issue and the process of deepening the alliance from falling into a vicious circle and act in a way so progress is made in a virtuous circle.
　大切なのは、普天間問題と同盟深化の作業が悪循環に陥るのを避けるとともに、逆に、好循環を生むよう行動することである。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun,March 31, 2010)
（2010年3月31日01時25分 読売新聞）