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02 日本迫切希望扮演强大的安全角色
Japan Urged to Play Stronger Security Role
Amy Bickers
Tokyo
28 May 2001 12:39 UTC
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer arrived in Tokyo Monday, a kick off three countries agent tour. He is expected to encourage Japan to take on a stronger security role in Asia. Which could ultimately involve amending the Japanese constitution.
In Japan Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is expected to tell his Japanese 1)counterpart and other 2)cabinet ministers to tell them that he believes Japan should play a larger part in peacekeeping missions in Asia.
In doing so, he will be backing a longstanding policy direction of the United States, which the Bush Administration is now strongly emphasizing.
Washington says it sees both Japan and Australia as linchpins of Asia-Pacific security. It wants Tokyo to take on a bigger position in regional security arrangements rather than simply providing economic support for peacekeeping.
Sydney-based political 3)analyst Gerard Henderson said "there is a view in the Australian government that this might be taken a step further. I do not think that anyone thinks this should happen suddenly. In Australia there is awareness that these are matters for 4)debate, not only within North Asia, but within Japan itself."
Japan's new Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi also supports consideration of 5)expanding the role of Japan's military. But the idea is highly controversial since Japan's constitution 6)bars the country from using military force as a means of 7)settling international 8)disputes.
Japan currently maintains 9)Self-Defence Forces, which are limited to defending Japan's people and sovereign territory.
Countries such as China and South Korea, which suffered under Japan's 10)expansionist wartime policies, have protested against such a move, as have many Japanese, who are against even the appearance of a return to militarism.
In a recent interview with the Australian Broadcasting Company, Mr. Downer said that nobody wants to encourage Japan to return to a militaristic 11)stance and to be 12)provocative. However he added that he wants Japan to be able to play its full part in the architecture of the region, including participating in peacekeeping operations.
Australia was disappointed in 1999 when Japan was unable to send members of its Self-Defense Forces to 13)East Timor, even though Tokyo provided economic aid. At that time, Australia was leading a U.N. peacekeeping mission after the former Portuguese 14)colony voted for independence from 15)Indonesia.
After his stop in Tokyo, Mr. Downer will visit South Korea and Hong Kong. His stop in 16)Seoul would focus on North Korea-related policies. Australia has been closely involved in diplomatic efforts to draw 17)Pyongyang out of its isolation.
In Hong Kong, he will underline Australia's continuing support for its autonomy as a special administrative region of China. Analysts say Mr. Downer's interest in a more empowered Japanese military could further strain relations with Beijing. China has criticized Australia's support for a wide range of U.S. policies, including Washington's proposed missile defense shield.
注释：
(1)counterpart[5kaJntEpB:t]n.副本, 极相似的人或物, 配对物
(2)cabinet [5kAbInIt]n.内阁
(3)analyst [5AnElIst]n.分析家
(4)debate [dI5beIt]v.争论, 辩论 n.争论, 辩论
(5)expand [Ik5spAnd]vt.使膨胀, 详述, 扩张 vi.张开, 发展
(6)bar [bB:(r)]vt.禁止, 阻挡
(7)settle [5set(E)l]vt.安排, 解决, 决定
(8)dispute [dI5spju:t]v.争论n.争论
(9)Self-Defence Forcesn.自卫军
(10)expansionist [Ik`spAnFEnIst]n.扩张主义者
(11)stance [stR:ns, stAns]n.姿态
(12)provocative[prE5vRkEtIv]adj.煽动的, 挑衅的
(13)East Timor n.东帝汶(位于东南亚,曾是葡萄牙殖民地)
(14)colony [5kRlEnI]n.殖民地
(15)Indonesia[IndE5ni:zIE] n.印尼(东南亚岛国)
(16)Seoul[sEJl,`sj:`Jl]n.汉城
(17)Pyongyang[`pjQN`jCN]n.平壤
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