日本外相：勿把岛屿之争与历史挂钩

Japan’s foreign minister has urged China not to link the controversy over a contested island chain to other historical grievances, as a visit by two of his cabinet colleagues to the Yasakuni war shrine threatened to inflame tensions further between the Asian rivals.

日本外相玄叶光一郎(Koichiro Gemba)敦促中国不要把两国围绕一个有争议群岛的争端与其他历史情结联系在一起。他的两位内阁同事刚刚参拜了靖国神社(Yasukuni shrine)，这可能加剧亚洲这两个对手国家之间的紧张局势。

The Japanese-controlled islands – known as the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China – are also claimed by Beijing and Taiwan. Japan’s purchase in September of three of the islands from their long-time private owners sparked violent demonstrations in cities across China and has led to widespread boycotts of Japanese goods.

对于这些日本控制的岛屿——日本称为尖阁诸岛(Senkaku)，中国称为钓鱼岛及其附属岛屿，北京和台湾也声称对其拥有主权。9月份，日本政府从长期以来的私人岛主手中购买其中的三个岛屿，引发中国多个城市的暴力抗议活动，并使日本产品遭到了大范围的抵制。

“I think it is necessary to think about the Senkaku islands by delinking them from the past, Koichiro Gemba told the Financial Times on Thursday during a visit to London.

玄叶光一郎周四在访问伦敦期间对英国《金融时报》表示：“我认为，在考虑尖阁诸岛问题时，不应把它跟历史挂钩。

Earlier in the day Yuichiro Hata, Japan’s land minister, and Mikio Shimoji, postal reform minister, visited Yasakuni, the shrine to Japan’s war dead that many in Asia regard as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism. Yasukuni is dedicated to almost 2.5m soldiers and civilians who died in the service of Imperial Japan and some of the deceased honoured were convicted war criminals.

当天早些时候，日本国土交通大臣羽田雄一郎(Yuichiro Hata)和邮政改革担当大臣下地干郎(Mikio Shimoji)参拜了靖国神社。靖国神社是用来供奉日本战死者亡灵的地方，被亚洲许多人视为当年日本军国主义的象征。靖国神社存放着近250万为日本帝国战死的军人和平民的灵位，包括一些战犯。

Mr Gemba sought to downplay the ministers’ visit, saying it had been made in their capacity as “private citizens rather than government officials.

玄叶光一郎寻求淡化参拜一事的影响。他表示，他们是以私人身份而不是政府官员身份进行参拜的。

On Wednesday, Shinzo Abe, leader of Japan’s main opposition party and probably the next prime minister, also visited Yasukuni. This drew an angry response from Chinese state media, which described the visit as shortsighted and cowardly.

周三，日本主要反对党党首、可能成为下任首相的安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)也参拜了靖国神社。中国官方媒体对此非常愤怒，称安倍参拜是短视和懦弱之举。

China’s media frequently press their claim to the Senkaku in the context of the repeated invasions and other encroachments the country suffered at the hands of Japan and other imperial powers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After the two ministers’ visit to Yasakuni, China’s foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei called on Japan to “strictly abide by its solemn statements and pledges regarding historical issues.

中国媒体在主张中国对尖阁诸岛主权时，经常提到19世纪晚期和20世纪初中国多次遭到日本和其他帝国主义列强入侵和瓜分的历史。日本两位内阁成员参拜靖国神社之后，中国外交部发言人洪磊呼吁日本政府“恪守迄今在历史问题上作出的郑重表态和承诺。

Mr Gemba reiterated Tokyo’s claim that the disputed islands are “inherent territory of Japan based on historical fact and in light of international law.

玄叶光一郎重申了日本政府的立场，即这些争议岛屿“无论是基于历史事实还是根据国际法都是日本的固有领土。

Tokyo argues that the islands were confirmed as Japanese territory in the peace treaty that ended the second world war. “When it comes to the issue of sovereignty, Japan cannot concede what it cannot concede. That is the basic premise here, the foreign minister said. He added that Tokyo and Beijing should “calm down the situation in a peaceful manner.

日本政府辩称，第二次世界大战结束时签署的和平条约已确认了争议岛屿为日本领土。玄叶光一郎表示：“日本在主权问题上没有退让余地。这是一个基本前提。他还补充道，日中两国应当“通过和平方式让局势缓和下来。

He defended Japan’s purchase of the islands as a “practical measure intended to pre-empt Tokyo’s nationalist governor, Shintaro Ishihara, who this year goaded China by threatening to buy and develop them.

玄叶光一郎为日本政府的购岛行为进行了辩护，认为那是为了抢在民族主义色彩浓厚的东京都知事石原慎太郎(Shintaro Ishihara)之前的“务实措施。今年，石原威胁购买并开发钓鱼岛，由此惹怒了中国。

“Overall, I believe the government of Japan as well as the Japanese people are responding in a calm manner as well as in a restrained manner, he said.

玄叶光一郎表示：“总体说来，我相信日本政府和日本人民正在做出冷静和克制的反应。

In contrast, China’s response, Mr Gemba said, had been “excessive in sending government-owned ships to the area of the islands and cancelling cultural exchanges.

他表示，与此形成对照的是，中国的反应有些“过激，不但向争议海域派出了公务船，还取消了两国的文化交流。

China’s rise was part of a rebalancing of power from Europe towards Asia now under way, Mr Gemba said. But, he added: “I believe China has to develop into a responsible power which should be encouraged to respect the rule of law.

玄叶光一郎表示，由欧洲到亚洲的实力再平衡进程已经开启，中国的崛起是该进程的一部分。但他补充道，“我相信，中国必须发展为一个负责任的大国，应当鼓励中国尊重法治。