FT社评：金正恩的危险野心

This week the world became a more dangerous place. North Korea’s successful launch of a long-range rocket brings closer the possibility that the rogue nuclear state could one day hit targets as far away as the US. The threat is not yet nuclear because the technology is not sophisticated enough. But the intention is clear.

本周世界变得更加危险了。朝鲜成功发射一枚远程火箭，意味着有朝一日这个无赖核武国家更有可能打到远在美国的目标。目前的威胁还不是核武性质的，因为朝鲜的技术水平还不够高。但其意图是明确的。

The launch – dressed up as an attempt to send a civil satellite into space – should dash any hopes that Kim Jong-eun, the country’s new Swiss-educated leader, is more open to international engagement than his father. Instead he seems bent on reinforcing Kim Jong-il’s nuclear ambitions to bolster his own hold on power.

这次发射——以发射一枚民用卫星进入太空作为幌子——应当打消外界此前可能抱有的任何希望，即曾在瑞士留学的朝鲜新领导人金正恩(Kim Jong-eun)比他父亲更愿意与国际社会接触。相反，他似乎决心在金正日(Kim Jong-il)的核武野心基础上更进一步，以巩固自己对权力的掌控。

Recently the world has been preoccupied by Iran’s nuclear programme. Yet North Korea is more worrying. It has several nuclear bombs and uranium enrichment facilities. It is also more advanced than Tehran in developing ballistic missiles. Given the Kim dynasty’s habit of selling expertise to any and all comers, it may now only be a matter of time before this is transferred to Iran and beyond.

近期世界专注于伊朗的核计划。然而朝鲜其实更令人担忧。该国拥有数枚核弹，还拥有铀浓缩设施。该国在弹道导弹的开发方面也比伊朗更先进。鉴于金家王朝向任何人销售技术诀窍的习惯，现在朝鲜的导弹技术转移到伊朗及其他人手中也许只是一个时间问题。

After the events of this week, the international community can no longer dismiss Pyongyang’s muscle-flexing as mere bluff. It may be years before North Korea develops nuclear-armed missiles. But this rocket launch cannot pass without consequence, as did the failed attempt last April. North Korea is already one of the world’s most heavily sanctioned countries. Yet more can be done by the US and its allies to block the offshore financing channels that contribute to arms programmes.

经过本周发生的事件，国际社会再也不能对朝鲜的显摆嗤之以鼻，称其为仅仅是虚张声势。朝鲜也许还需要几年时间才能研发出带有核弹头的导弹。但这次火箭发射不能像今年4月朝鲜失败的火箭试射那样，没有后果，不了了之。朝鲜已经是世界上受到最严厉制裁的国家之一。然而，美国及其盟国仍可采取更多行动，堵住为朝鲜军备计划作出贡献的境外资金渠道。

China should also use its economic leverage to divert North Korea from its destructive path. The robust language used after this week’s rocket is a welcome sign that Beijing’s normally reticent stance might be changing. Yet Xi Jinping, China’s new leader, should make clear that the repercussions could go further. As the country’s main source of food, fuel and investment, China has propped up a regime whose policies have led to rising rates of starvation and hunger over the past 20 years. No population will tolerate indefinitely a leader who cannot feed his people. If he persists, Mr Kim should be reminded that he might be the first victim of his own dangerous ambitions.

中国也应当运用其经济影响力，把朝鲜从毁灭之路上拉回来。本周朝鲜发射火箭后，中国在评论中使用了强烈的措辞，这是一个可喜的迹象，表明北京方面通常缄口不言的姿态也许在发生变化。可是，中国新领导人习近平应当明确表明，朝鲜此举可能带来进一步的后果。作为朝鲜主要的食物、燃料和投资来源，中国扶植了一个过去20年里政策不当、导致民间饥荒和饥饿愈演愈烈的政权。不能让人民果腹的领导人，不会永远得到人民的容忍。如果金正恩执迷不悟，那么他应当得到这样的提醒：他也许是自己危险野心的第一个受害者。