川普新政令或致美外交空窗

特朗普的过渡团队已下令奥巴马政府的所有政务官不得延期离职，这一命令打破了数十年来的先例，可能使德国加拿大等重要国家在数月内没有美国大使。此前，大使通常获准在为期数周或数月的宽限期内继续任职并安排个人事务。

President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has issued a blanket mandate for politically appointed ambassadors installed by President Barack Obama to leave their posts by Inauguration Day, the US ambassador to New Zealand said on Friday.

美国驻新西兰大使6日表示，侯任总统特朗普的过渡团队发布了一条命令，要求奥巴马政治任命的驻外大使在特朗普就任之前全部离职。

'I will be departing on January 20th,' Ambassador Mark Gilbert said in a Twitter message to Reuters.

大使马克•吉尔伯特通过推特对路透社表示：“我将在1月20日离职。”

The mandate was issued 'without exceptions' through an order sent in a State Department cable on Dec. 23, Gilbert said.

吉尔伯特称，去年12月23日，国务院宣布将“无差别执行”该项命令。

He was confirming a report in the New York Times, which quoted diplomatic sources as saying previous US administrations, from both major political parties, have traditionally granted extensions to allow a few such ambassadors, particularly those with school-age children, to remain in place for weeks or months.

他证实了《纽约时报》的一篇报道。该报道援引外交人士消息称，过去无论是民主党政府还是共和党政府，通常会准许一些驻外使节在工作地继续逗留几周或几个月，尤其是针对那些家中有学龄儿童的使节。

The US ambassador to Canada announced his resignation Friday, yielding to the Trump transition team's demand.

迫于特朗普过渡小组的要求，美国驻加拿大大使6日宣布辞职。

'As requested I have resigned as US Ambassador to Canada effective 1/20,' Bruce Heyman wrote on Twitter.

布鲁斯•海曼在推特上写道：“按照要求，本人已辞去美国驻加拿大大使一职，自1月20日正式生效。”

Heyman is close to Obama.

海曼与奥巴马关系密切。

State Department spokesman John Kirby said it was 'common' procedure for all politically-appointed ambassadors to step down as a new US administration comes in on Jan. 20.

美国国务院发言人约翰•柯比称，因为新一届政府要上任，所以受到政治任命的外交使节会在1月20日辞职，这是“一般”流程。  

The US ambassadors to Canada and New Zealand have confirmed that they are quitting effective January 20. The ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman, is seen on the left with his wife, Vicki Heyman. The envoy to New Zealand, Mark Gilbert, is seen on the right

'All political appointees for the Obama administration were directed to submit their resignation and the due date was Dec. 7, and the resignations are to take effect on Jan. 20,' Kirby told reporters.

柯比对记者表示：“奥巴马政府的所有政务官都于去年12月7日前直接递交了辞呈，自1月20日起正式生效。”

Kirby said, as expected, no career diplomats serving as ambassadors had been asked to resign by the transition team.

柯比说，和预期一样，特朗普过渡团队没有要求担任大使的职业外交官辞职。

He acknowledged, however, that in the past there had been exceptions made for a small number of political appointees to stay on for a short time for personal reasons.

但是，他承认，过去也会出现例外，出于私人原因，少数政务官可以逗留一小段时间。  

The order could leave the United States without Senate-confirmed envoys for months in critical nations like Germany, Canada and Britain. John Emerson, the US ambassador to Germany, is seen left. Matthew Barzun, Washington's envoy to London, is seen right

The order could leave the United States without Senate-confirmed envoys for months in critical nations like Germany, Canada and Britain, The New York Times reported.

据《纽约时报》报道，这一命令可能会导致德国、加拿大和英国等重要国家在数月内没有美国参议院批准的外交使节。

A senior Trump transition official told the newspaper there was no ill will in the move, describing it as a simple matter of ensuring Obama's overseas envoys leave the government on schedule, just as thousands of political aides at the White House and in federal agencies must do.

特朗普过渡团队的高级官员对《纽约时报》表示，此举并没有任何恶意，只是为了确保奥巴马任命的驻外使节按时离开政府部门，正如当前数千名白宫和联邦机构中的政治幕僚所必须要做到的一样。

Trump has taken a strict stance against leaving any of Obama's political appointees in place as he prepares to take office on Jan. 20, aiming to break up many of his predecessor's signature foreign and domestic policy achievements, the newspaper said.

对于奥巴马任命的政府官员，特朗普立场坚定绝不留任，因为他准备在20日就职总统后清算奥巴马在内政外交方面的诸多政治遗产。

Diplomats told the New York Times that the order has thrown their personal lives into a tailspin, leaving them scrambling to secure living arrangements and acquire visas allowing them to stay in their countries so their children can remain in school.

有外交官员告诉《纽约时报》，这个命令使他们的生活陷入一片混乱，为了能够继续留在当前所在国家，确保子女完成学业，他们不得不仓促地安排住所并申请签证。