日本围绕四个争议岛屿 对俄罗斯打经济牌

Japan and Russia are discussing almost 100 economic co-operation projects as they prepare to negotiate over four disputed islands at a high stakes summit in December.

日本和俄罗斯正在讨论近100个经济合作项目，同时两国准备在12月一个事关重大的峰会上围绕四个争议岛屿展开谈判。

In an interview with the Financial Times, Hiroshige Seko, Japan’s minister for economy, trade and industry, said the Japanese side had put forward tens of projects and the Russian side had come forward with almost 70.

日本经济产业大臣世耕弘成(Hiroshige Seko)在接受英国《金融时报》采访时表示，日本方面提出了几十个项目，而俄罗斯方面提出了近70个项目。

“Right now, officials at various ministries are working with their Russian counterparts to firm these projects up, and check which ones are viable,” said Mr Seko, before a weekend trip to Moscow for talks with Russian ministries. “There’s huge energy going into coordinating this.”

“眼下，各部的官员们正与俄罗斯同行合作，深入研究这些项目，确定哪些是可行的，”世耕弘成在周末启程前往莫斯科与俄方商谈之前表示。“投入了大量精力来协调这方面的努力。”

The intensity of discussions shows the weight prime minister Shinzo Abe is putting on his latest effort to resolve the long-running dispute over a group of islands Russia calls the Kuriles and Japan the Northern Territories.

讨论的强度表明，日本首相安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)高度注重其解决这一长期争端的最新努力。俄罗斯称这个争议岛群为库页岛(Kuriles)，日本称其为北方领土(Northern Territories)。

But it also raises the risk of a post-summit backlash in Japan if there is no progress on the islands. Last week, a Russian parliamentarian visiting Tokyo said there is “no discussion going on at all on things like the handover of the islands”.

但是，如果在这些岛屿的问题上没有进展，峰会之后在日本遭遇反弹的风险也会加大。上周，一位俄罗斯议员在访问东京期间表示，“根本没有讨论岛屿移交之类的事情。”

Mr Abe’s new approach to Russia — launched at a Sochi summit with president Vladimir Putin in May — is aimed at building a broader relationship with Moscow to ease negotiations on the islands. The two men met again at Vladivostok in September and will hold a summit in Mr Abe’s home prefecture of Yamaguchi on December 15th.

安倍对俄罗斯的新政策是在5月与俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔.普京(Vladimir Putin)在索契举行的峰会上发起的，目的是与莫斯科方面构建更广泛的关系，为围绕争议岛屿的谈判创造条件。两人9月在符拉迪沃斯托克再次会晤，并将于12月15日在安倍的故乡山口县(Yamaguchi)举行峰会。

Mr Seko said his goal was to prepare economic co-operation projects by then. “We want a win-win relationship. Without thinking about the Northern Territories too much, we want to set up economic projects of benefit to Japan.”

世耕弘成表示，他的目标是在峰会之前准备好经济合作项目。“我方想要一个双赢的关系。在不过多考虑北方领土的情况下，我方希望建立对日本有利的经济项目。”

“But if both countries can work together and develop a really good relationship, then it’ll help make a better environment for prime minister Abe and foreign minister [Fumio] Kishida to conduct their Northern Territories negotiations.”

“但是，如果两国能够共同努力，发展真正良好的关系，那么它将有助于为首相安倍晋三和外务大臣岸田文雄(Fumio Kishida)进行北方领土谈判创造一个更好的环境。”

Mr Seko declined to comment on specific projects, but among those mooted are upgrades to Khabarovsk airport, coal export terminals at Vanino and Vostochnyy as well as investments in fossil fuels and renewable energy.

世耕弘成拒绝对具体项目发表评论，但双方考虑的项目包括哈巴罗夫斯克机场(Khabarovsk airport)的升级改造，瓦尼诺(Vanino)和沃斯托尼(Vostochnyy)的煤炭出口码头，以及化石燃料和可再生能源领域的投资项目。

“The Japan-Russia economic relationship so far has been centred on energy,” said Mr Seko. “But there are areas where the Russian people have needs such as hospitals or urban development, promoting industry in the Far East, or co-operation in advanced technology. We want a menu of projects that makes Russians feel a real difference in their lives.”

“日俄经济关系迄今以能源为中心，”世耕弘成表示。“但是俄罗斯有一些地方的人民需要医院或城市发展等等，促进远东地区的工业，或者在先进技术领域开展合作。我们想要一个项目菜单，让俄罗斯人在生活中感受到真正的不同。”

Mr Seko said he envisions private companies taking the lead, with Japan’s government offering finance, and working with Russia to overcome regulatory hurdles. But he also vowed that “not violating sanctions is an absolute precondition”.

世耕弘成表示，他的设想是由私营企业主导，日本政府提供资金，并与俄罗斯合作克服监管障碍。但他也誓言“不违反制裁是绝对的先决条件”。

Tokyo is part of G7 sanctions put in place after Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Japanese banks say they are feeling contradictory pressures from government both to tighten the enforcement of sanctions and restore lending to Russia to its previous highs.

俄罗斯吞并克里米亚后，东京方面参与了七国集团(G7)的一致对俄制裁。日本各银行表示，他们在两方面受到政府的压力，既要收紧制裁的执行，又要把对俄罗斯的放贷恢复到之前的高点。

The two countries never signed a peace treaty after World War Two because of Moscow’s seizure of the four southernmost islands of the Kuril chain. Covering about 5,000 square kilometres, the islands offer rich fishing and have a Russian population of thousands. The previous Japanese population was expelled after the war.

这两个国家在第二次世界大战后从未签署和平条约，因为莫斯科方面夺取了千岛群岛最南端的四个岛屿。这些岛屿的总面积达到约5000平方公里，周边海域拥有丰富渔业资源，岛上有数千俄罗斯居民。以往的日本居民在战后被驱逐。

The starting point for any settlement would most likely be a 1956 joint declaration by Japan and the Soviet Union agreeing that the smallest of the four disputed islands — Habomai and Shikotan — should go back to Japan. But there is little sign Mr Putin is minded to return any territory at all.

任何和解的起点很可能是1956年日本和苏联的联合声明，当时的苏联同意向日本移交四个争议岛屿中较小的两个：齿舞群岛(Habomai)和色丹岛(Shikotan)。但没有什么迹象表明普京有意交还任何领土。