New Japan Defense Chief to Boost Security of Southwest Waters

　　Japan’s new defense minister said the government is preparing to enhance its air and sea defense capabilities to protect islands and waters in the nation’s southwest, part of the broad swath of the western Pacific where China has increased its maritime activities in recent years.

　　日本新任防卫大臣表示，日本政府正在准备加强空中和海上防卫力量，保护日本西南部岛屿和水域。日本西南部岛屿和水域位于西太平洋的辽阔海域上，最近几年中国增加了在西太平洋地区的海上活动。

　　’Japan has 6,800 islands, and territory that stretches over 3,300 kilometers [2,000 miles]; it’s necessary to have troops at its southwestern end to beef up our warning and surveillance capability,’ Satoshi Morimoto told The Wall Street Journal on Monday in his first interview with a non-Japanese news organization since he took office this month.

　　森本敏(Satoshi Morimoto)周一接受《华尔街日报》采访时说，日本拥有6,800座岛屿，日本的领土绵延3,300公里（约合2,000英里），很有必要在西南端驻扎部队，加强我们的预警和侦察能力。这是森本敏本月就任日本防卫相以来首次接受外国新闻机构的采访。

　　’We must defend without fail our sovereign rights and our land that includes the Senkaku islands,’ he added, referring to a chain of islands also claimed by China, which calls them Diaoyu. ’We must strengthen our overall defense capability in the southwest.’

　　他补充说，我们必须坚决捍卫国家主权和领土完整，包括尖阁列岛(Senkaku，中国称钓鱼岛)。尖阁列岛是一个岛屿链，中国也宣称对尖阁列岛拥有主权。森本敏说，我们必须加强在西南部的整体防御能力。

　　Mr. Morimoto also said one of his priorities as defense minister is to push for policies that will strengthen the bilateral alliance with the U.S. ’The most important task for people who think about Japan’s national security and build its policy is making the alliance even more reliable,’ he said.

　　森本敏还说，他作为防卫相的首要任务之一，是推动制定能够加强美日同盟的政策。他说，对思考日本国家安全、制定日本国家安全政策的人来说，最重要的任务是让同盟关系更加牢固。

　　Mr. Morimoto brings to the embattled government of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda a combination of a nonpolitical résumé and first-class knowledge of national security that has generated rare excitement among the public. He also comes with unapologetically hawkish views on how Japan should protect itself amid rising geopolitical tensions in East Asia.

　　对于焦头烂额的野田佳彦(Yoshihiko Noda)政府来说，森本敏既带来了非职业政治家的背景，也带来了国家安全方面的一流学识，这种结合让日本民众异常兴奋。对于日本应该如何在东亚日益加剧的地缘政治紧张局势中保护自己，他有着绝不低头的强硬派主张。

　　Tapping Mr. Morimoto was a gamble for Mr. Noda, who is struggling to pass a controversial tax bill in a divided parliament and facing a possible breakup of his own party.

　　启用森本敏是野田佳彦的一次冒险之举。野田佳彦正在艰难地寻求在四分五裂的议会中通过一项饱受争议的税收法案，同时还面临着自己领导的政党解体的可能性。

　　Mr. Morimoto, 71 years old, has an unusual background for a Japanese cabinet minister. He isn’t an elected official and his unconventional career path included 14 years in uniform at the Air Self-Defense Force, a stint as a civilian foreign-service officer, and nearly two decades as a college professor.

　　与其他内阁大臣相比，今年71岁的森本敏拥有不同寻常的背景。他不是民选官员。在他异于常规的职业生涯中，有14年在日本航空自卫队服役，曾担任外事文职官员，并有将近20年的时间担任大学教授。

　　His conservative views on defense issues are controversial. They are characterized by staunch support of the bilateral security alliance with the U.S. and a hard-line stance toward Japan’s neighbors, namely China and North Korea.

　　森本敏在防务问题上的保守派观点一直饱受争议。他坚决支持美日安保同盟，并对日本邻国──中国和韩国持强硬立场。

　　As a frequent contributor to conservative daily the Sankei Shimbun, Mr. Morimoto described the 2010 Senkaku-Diaoyu spat as having uncovered ’China’s unilateral, coercive and naked intention to expand its maritime rule.’

　　森本敏经常为保守派日报《产经新闻》(Sankei Shimbun)撰文。他曾在文章中说，2010年的钓鱼岛争端暴露了中国单边、强制性和赤裸裸的扩张海上统治的意图。

　　Calling for Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to assist allied troops during the Iraq war in 2003, he said the Japanese owed their ’prosperous and stable livelihoods to the U.S.-Japan alliance.’ Some had criticized such cooperation, saying it would violate Japan’s so-called postwar peace constitution, which restricts the use of military forces abroad, but Mr. Morimoto insisted the alternative would be worse: ’Those who want to ditch the alliance should realize the alternative would be rearming ourselves, and doing so with nuclear weapons.’

　　2003年伊拉克战争期间，他曾力主日本自卫队援助联军，他说，日本繁荣稳定的生活要归功于美日同盟。之前一些人曾对这类合作提出批评，说此举会违反日本限制境外用兵的战后和平宪法。但森本敏坚称不这样会更糟。他说，那些希望抛弃同盟的人应当认识到，另外一个选项将是我们重新武装自己，而且是用核武器来武装自己。

　　Such views are in contrast to those presented by leaders of Mr. Noda’s Democratic Party of Japan when it came to power in 2009, promising closer ties with China and moving an unpopular U.S. base off Okinawa, hub of the U.S. military presence in Japan.

　　这类观点与野田佳彦所属日本民主党(Democratic Party of Japan)在2009年上台时，该党诸多领导人表达的观点截然相反。当时民主党领导人承诺加强与中国的关系，并将一个不受欢迎的美军基地迁出冲绳。冲绳是美国在日驻军的中心地区。

　　Mr. Morimoto had served briefly as a national-security adviser to the conservative Liberal Democratic Party before the LDP was ousted by the DPJ’s election win.

　　在保守的自由民主党(Liberal Democratic Party)因民主党胜选而下台之前，森本敏曾短时间担任自民党的国家安全顾问。

　　Mr. Noda’s choice of Mr. Morimoto─after two consecutive defense ministers were forced out over gaffes and missteps since Mr. Noda took office last September─appears to be paying off. In an opinion poll published by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun daily on Monday, 54% of those surveyed supported Mr. Morimoto’s appointment, compared with 24% who opposed it.

　　自野田佳彦去年9月份上任以来，已经有两位防卫相因失言和失策相继被迫下台。这次他选择了森本敏，而且表面上看来，这一选择似乎正在取得回报。日报《日本经济新闻》(Nihon Keizai Shimbun)周一公布的民意调查结果显示，54%的受访者支持任命森本敏为防卫相，反对的人占24%。

　　Since becoming defense chief, Mr. Morimoto has toned down his rhetoric. Although he stressed that the Senkaku islands are ’Japan’s unique territory, from both historical and legal perspectives,’ he described in the interview on Monday China’s recent response to the new tension over the islands as ’very well-restrained.’

　　自从当上防卫相以来，森本敏已经调低了自己的语调。虽然他强调尖阁列岛不管从历史是从法律角度来看都是只属于日本的领土，但在周一采访中他也说，面对围绕这片岛屿产生的新矛盾，中国近期采取的应对措施是非常克制的。

　　The minister also said some friction with China is inevitable ’as our national interest are different,’ but he added: ’I believe it’s extremely important Japan and China improve our mutual cooperation and understanding, and play our respective roles to stabilize the maritime environment in this region.’

　　森本敏也说，与中国发生一些摩擦不可避免，因为我们的国家利益不同。但他也说，我相信，日中增进双边合作与理解、发挥各自作用稳定本地区海上环境是极其重要的。

　　To prepare Tokyo’s troops for new challenges, he said Japan is negotiating with Washington to have the soldiers of its army, known as the Ground Self-Defense Forces, trained for island defense by U.S. Marines stationed on Okinawa.

　　他说，为保证日本部队有能力应对新的挑战，日本正在与华盛顿方面谈判，让美国驻冲绳海军陆战队为日本陆上自卫队队员提供岛屿防卫训练。

　　The continuing realignment of U.S. troops in Japan, he added, creates opportunities to increase bilateral cooperation and strengthen Japan’s defense power through the shared use of U.S. bases in Okinawa and the building of joint training facilities.

　　他说，驻日美军的持续调整创造了通过共用冲绳美军基地、建设联合训练设施，从而增强双边合作、强化日本防务力量的机会。

　　’The Japan-U.S. alliance has evolved over time, but what hasn’t changed fundamentally, and what will not change, is the fact that the alliance plays an extremely important role in promoting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region,’ Mr. Morimoto said. ’The most important task for people who think about Japan’s national security and build its policy is making the alliance even more reliable.’

　　森本敏说，日美同盟已经随着时间的推移而演进，但同盟在促进亚太地区和平稳定方面发挥极其重要作用这一点没有发生根本改变，将来也不会改变。他说，对于思考日本国家安全、制定其政策的人们来说，最重要的任务是让同盟变得更加可靠。