美军高官：中美两军关系有望改善China navy less aggressive, US says

The commander of US forces in the Pacific says there has been a softening in the attitude of the Chinese navy, expressing the hope that military relations could be improving after a rocky past two years.

美军太平洋司令部司令罗伯特•威拉德上将(Admiral Robert Willard)表示，中国海军的态度近期在软化，他表示希望，经过麻烦不断的两年后，中美两军关系可以有所改善。

“There has been a retrenchment . . . by the Chinese Navy such that while we continue to experience their shadowing of some of our ships that are operating in these waters, we have not seen the same level of assertiveness in 2011 that we witnessed in 2010,” Admiral Robert Willard told senators at a hearing on Tuesday.

威拉德上将周二在美国参议院作证时表示：“中国海军……近期有所收敛，以至于尽管它们继续追踪在这些水域执行任务的我军舰船，但我们在2011年没有看到2010年那种程度的自信。”

He added: “I take [this] as a positive, especially given the fact that we have [military-to-military] relations that have recommenced to a modest extent, and perhaps we can make an advance in that regard.”

他补充称：“我将此视为一个正面迹象，尤其是鉴于两军关系已经有所恢复。或许我们可以在这方面取得进展。”

The comments are unusual coming from an officer who is known for his hawkish stance on China, and could mark a turning point in the way the two militaries deal with each other. China’s growing global economic and political clout, coupled with rapid military modernisation especially of its navy, have driven the two nations into an increasingly visible rivalry in regional waters during the past few years.

一位以对华立场强硬著称的美国军官发表上述言论非同寻常，它可能标志着两军交往方式的转折点。中国在全球经济和政治日益增长的影响力，加上快速的军事现代化（尤其是海军），使得两国过去两年在亚洲海域的对抗越来越明显。

Gary Li, an expert on the Chinese navy at Exclusive Analysis, a UK-based risk consultancy, said: “Certainly it’s a good sign that the sabre-rattling commander of the Pacific command is using moderating words like this in regards to China.”

英国风险咨询公司Exclusive Analysis研究中国海军的专家加里•李(Gary Li)表示：“一向态度强硬的美军太平洋司令部司令在谈到中国时使用这样温和的言辞，当然是一个好的迹象。”

In early 2009, the US accused China of having harassed its surveillance vessels in international waters on several occasions. Last year, several Chinese naval officers aired anti-American views in state media.

2009年初，美国指责中国屡次在国际水域骚扰其监测船。去年，多名中国海军军官在官方媒体发表了反美言论。

China holds the view that foreign military vessels may only sail through its exclusive economic zone with Beijing’s permission, and frequently calls on the US to cease its surveillance operations in China’s near seas. Military analysts view Adm Willard’s comments as an indication that incidents such as those in 2009 will not occur again.

中国认为，外国军事舰船只有获得中国政府的许可，才可通过其专属经济区，并屡次呼吁美国停止在中国近海的监视行动。军事分析人士将威拉德上将的言论视为一个迹象，表明2009年的那些事件将不会再次发生。

Adm Willard attributed the change in China’s tone to strong statements from Hillary Clinton, secretary of state, and Robert Gates, secretary of defence, in which they declared the US’s determination to retain its influence in Asia-Pacific.

威拉德上将将中国态度的转变归因于美国国务卿希拉里•克林顿(Hillary Clinton)和国防部长罗伯特•盖茨(Robert Gates)的有力声明——两人均宣告，美国决心保留其在亚太地区的影响力。

While Adm Willard added that he had no doubts that China continued to seek great influence in Asian waters, analysts said his remarks reflected a warming relationship.

尽管威拉德上将补充称，他毫不怀疑中国将继续在亚洲水域寻求巨大影响力，但分析人士表示，他的言辞反映出双方关系正在回暖。

“The mentioning of the resumption of military contacts points to some behind the scenes ‘no bullshit’ dialogue over the Pacific,” said Mr Li. “The current Chinese leadership does not want a legacy of naval frustration and several foreign navies steaming angrily around China when they leave office next year.”

加里•李表示：“（威拉德上将）提到的两军恢复接触，说明在幕后有一些关于太平洋的‘没有废话’的对话。当前的中国领导层不希望在明年离职之际让海军受挫，并出现多国海军逼近中国海域的局面。”

译者/何黎