日本为武器出口松绑 高端科技引发全球关注

In a bustling exhibition hall crowded with scale-model aircraft carriers, full-sized naval cannons and displays bearing industrial euphemisms for war, Japan on Thursday celebrated its coming-out as an International weapons exporter.

喧哗的展示大厅里，充满了按比例制作的航空母舰模型、全尺寸海军炮、以及各种显示着业内对“战争”委婉说法的显示屏。周四，日本以这样的方式，宣示着自己正在跻身进入国际军火出口国之列。

The three-day Maritime Systems and Technology arms fair being staged in Yokohama is Japan’s first military trade show since the second world war and comes as defence budgets and tensions rise across the region. The event represented a moment in Japanese history “dreaded by some, but welcomed by others”, one participant noted.

为期三天的横滨海事系统及技术(Maritime Systems and Technology)军火交易会，是二战以来日本首次军火贸易展。在日本推出这一军火交易展之际，亚洲的防务预算及紧张态势正日益增强。一名参会者指出，这次活动代表着日本历史中“一些人恐惧而另外一些人欢迎”的时刻。

Since coming to power in 2012, Shinzo Abe, Japan’s nationalist prime minister, has pushed relentlessly to expand both the role and capabilities of the country’s Self Defence Force. As well as offering greater opportunities for international companies to sell arms to Japan, Mr Abe has engineered rule changes that reduce historical limitations on weapons exports in place since 1945.

自2012年掌权以来，日本持民族主义立场的首相安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)一直在不遗余力地提升日本自卫队(Self Defence Force)的作用及战斗力。除了为跨国公司创造更多向日本出售武器的机会，安倍还策划了一系列法规上的改革，降低了自1945年以来长期存在的对日本武器出口的限制。

As the multinational crowds of arms salesmen and uniformed military personnel gathered in Yokohama on Thursday, the Japanese cabinet approved draft legislation that would bolster the military and permit Japan to fight abroad for the first time since the end of the second world war. Speaking at a press conference afterwards, Mr Abe said the changes would enhance deterrence and “decrease the risk of war”.

周四，就在各国军火销售人员及穿着制服的各国军方人员齐聚横滨的同时，日本内阁通过了加强军事力量的立法草案，该草案将在二战以来首次允许自卫队在海外作战。在随后的记者招待会上，安倍表示这些改革会加强日本威慑能力，“降低战争风险”。

The move — and Japan’s decision to host a fair where the focus is on maritime defence — come against a background of a more assertive China, whose $100bn defence budget and territorial claims in the East and South China Seas have rattled neighbouring countries.

日本的上述举措及决定主办聚焦于海上防御的军火交易会，背景是中国愈发强硬的立场，中国1000亿美元的国防预算、以及在东中国海(East China Sea)和南中国海(South China Sea)的领土诉求，已让其邻国感到害怕。

Nonetheless, the new laws are unpopular in Japan — a recent poll for JNN showed only 36 per cent of the public in favour — and in Yokohama, Japanese delegates better known for consumer electronics and civilian vehicles, including Hitachi, NEC and Mitsubishi, appeared awkward in their role as the public face of military hardware sales.

不过，日本内阁的新法律在日本并不受欢迎。最近，日本新闻网(JNN)一项调查显示，只有36%的公众支持这些新法律。而在横滨，日本更为知名的是他们作为消费点在和民用汽车的一面，包括日立、NEC及三菱(Mitsubishi)等，而作为销售军事装备的公众面孔似乎有点尴尬。

Some sought to soften the blow with displays mixing images of their “security and safety solutions” with pictures of sleeping children and toy animals. Others were at pains to play down the prospects for significant military exports over the next half decade.

会展上一些人试图软化这种形象转变带来的冲击，他们在显示屏上把他们的“防务与安全解决方案”和熟睡的儿童及动物玩具的照片放在一起。其他人则费尽心思地淡化今后五年日本大量军事出口的前景。

The decades-long embargo has forced Japanese manufacturers to produce their military hardware in isolation and with the tough economics of having their own military as sole customer.

持续数十年的军售禁令迫使日本制造商始终在一种孤立的环境下生产军事装备。它们还面临一种经济上的严苛环境——日本军方是它们的唯一客户。

Takayuki Saito, a senior manager at Japan Marine United, which produces cruise ships, oil tankers and Aegis destroyers, said that at this stage, the purpose of exhibiting at the fair was merely to gauge international interest in what Japan had to offer. “There will be small steps. Then more small steps,” he added.

日本海事联合公司(Japan Marine United)是一家生产游轮、油轮及宙斯盾驱逐舰的企业。该公司高管Takayuki Saito表示，在目前这个阶段，参与此次交易会展览的目的，仅仅是为了考察国际社会对日本所提供产品的兴趣。他补充说：“事情会一步一步慢慢来。”

International companies attempting to promote their products to Japan, with its $40bn defence budget, face different challenges. Salesmen at BAE Systems, hoping to convince Japan’s coastguard to buy a Mk4 automated 40mm cannon, noted the country has historically been a conservative customer and would be unlikely to buy any new weapon not already in use elsewhere. The cannon was duly emblazoned with the phrase “Selected by the Brazilian navy” in Japanese.

那些企图向400亿防务预算的日本推销产品的跨国公司，则面临不同挑战。BAE系统公司(BAE Systems)销售人员指出，长期以来日本一直是一个十分保守的客户，不太可能购买任何未在其他地方使用过的新型武器。这些销售人员希望能说服日本海岸警卫队购买一款40毫米口径的Mk4自动火炮。在这款火炮上，厂商用日语恰如其分地标注了“曾被巴西海军选购”的字样。