英闻天下——314 Japan PM's Statement Needs Clarification: China

 　　In an interview with the Washington Post ahead his US visit, Abe says China has a "deeply ingrained" need to spar with Japan and other Asian neighbors over territorial¹ issues.

 

　　The Japanese prime minister says the ruling Communist Party of China uses the disputes to maintain strong domestic support.

 

　　The Chinese government has issued a response, saying it is astonished by the report.

 

　　The foreign ministry² has issued a statement, saying such an assault goes against the will of the international community.

 

　　The foreign ministry goes on to say China is committed to developing relations with Japan, but will not sit by and watch the Japanese side distort China's diplomatic policy or make antagonistic³ moves regarding territorial issues.

 

　　A number of political observers here in China have been suggesting Shinzo Abe's trip is designed to try to garner⁴ US support in the Diaoyu Islands dispute.

 

　　Military expert Yin Zhuo.

 

　　"Abe is expecting to get that sentence back during talks with US President Barack Obama. Abe is going to ask the US government and President Obama to make promises. But I think Abe is not likely to get what he wanted because there is a reason why the US postponed⁵ his visit from January to February, that is because the US doesn't want the Diaoyu Islands issue to undermine the Sino-US relations."

 

　　While the Obama administration has said the Diaoyu Islands would fall under the US-Japan Mutual⁶ Defense⁷ treaty, Washington is also on record saying it takes no official position on the dispute.

 

　　Last month, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested the United States opposes actions undermining Japanese authority over the Diaoyu Islands.

 

　　However, that opinion hasn't been included by the new US Secretary of State John Kerry's statement on the Diaoyu Islands, which has reportedly left the Japanese side dissatisfied.

 

　　Abe's trip comes as the new Japanese government looks to make its mark on the international stage.

 

　　Abe's special envoy⁸, former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

 

　　Japan and Russia are also at odds⁹ with one-another over a territorial dispute.

 

　　However, the two sides have mainly stressed their economic ties.

 

　　Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 

　　"On the whole, economic relations between us are developing very well, in car manufacturing, information technology, and energy. Japan, I believe, already receives about 10 percent of the liquefied natural gas produced in Russia."

 

　　Japan and Russia have long-standing dispute over the ownership the South Kurils, a group of islands Tokyo considers as part of its Northern Territories.

 

　　The islands between Japan's northern island of Hokkaido and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula were taken over by the former Soviet¹⁰ Union at the tail-end of World War II.

 

　　Mori has told Putin the dispute over the islands is preventing the two sides from concluding a peace treaty.

 

　　Putin has told the Japanese envoy the absence of a treaty is an "abnormal situation".

 

　　Mori's trip to Russia is also laying the groundwork for a trip there by Shinzo Abe in "the near future."

 

　　At the same time, the Philippine foreign affairs department has confirmed Philippine and Japanese officials are set to meet in Manila later on this Friday to discuss maritime¹¹ cooperation and security.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Su Yi.

1 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 antagonistic   

adj.敌对的

参考例句：

• He is always antagonistic towards new ideas.他对新思想总是持反对态度。
• They merely stirred in a nervous and wholly antagonistic way.他们只是神经质地，带着完全敌对情绪地骚动了一下。

4 garner   

v.收藏；取得

参考例句：

• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
• Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。

5 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

6 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

9 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

10 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

11 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。