日本寻求向澳大利亚出售苍龙级潜艇

As US navy ships, spy planes and satellites monitor Chinese activity in the South China Sea, officials in Washington are keeping a close eye on a big submarine deal that could bring the US closer to its Pacific allies Australia and Japan.

在美国海军舰艇、间谍飞机和卫星监控中国在南中国海(South China Sea)行动之际，华盛顿官员正密切关注一项可能拉近本国与澳大利亚和日本这两个太平洋盟国之间关系的重大潜艇销售协议。

In Tokyo’s first large-scale attempt to export weapons in 70 years, Japanese, German and French companies are bidding for an A$50bn contract to replace Australia’s current fleet of submarines. The deal, one of the world’s biggest defence contracts of recent times, has strategic implications in a period when the US and its allies face an increasingly assertive Chinese navy in the waters of the Asia-Pacific region.

这是日本在70年里第一次尝试大规模对外出口武器。日本、德国和法国的企业正在竞标一项价值500亿澳元、更替澳大利亚现有潜艇编队的合同。这是近些年来世界上规模最大的防务合同之一。在美国及其盟国在亚太海域面对日益强大的中国海军之际，这一交易将产生战略性影响。

“As Australia is one of our closest allies, and given that they are positioned at the heart of one of the most important areas in the world, it goes without saying that the fact that Australia is investing in increased security capability, particularly in submarines, is significant,” says Vice Admiral Chris Aquilino, deputy chief of US naval operations for operations, plans and strategy. “This investment should significantly improve Australia’s — and by extension — our collective security efforts in a region of vital importance.”

“由于澳大利亚是与我国关系最密切的盟国之一，加上他们地处世界上最重要的地区之一的核心位置，不言而喻的是，澳大利亚通过投资提高安全能力、尤其是潜艇方面的能力，是非常重要的，”主管作战、计划和战略的美国海军作战部副部长克里斯阿奎利诺(Chris Aquilino)海军中将表示，“这一投资应会在一个至关重要的地区显著提高澳大利亚的、乃至我们的共同安全行动能力。”

The competition has huge significance for Japan as it marks the country’s first substantial attempt to export weapons since Shinzo Abe, prime minister, ended a ban on selling arms overseas in 2014, as part of his push to make Japan a “normal” nation.

这次竞标对日本的影响十分巨大，因为这是自2014年日本首相安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)终止向海外销售武器的禁令以来，第一次进行武器出口的重大努力。安倍解除该禁令，是为了使日本变成一个“正常”国家。

The US has not taken an official position even though Japan is clearly a more important ally in the Pacific region than Germany or France, which have less at stake in Asia. But Kurt Campbell, a former top US diplomat, says: “Privately there is a strong recognition that a deeper partnership between Japan and Australia is in the best strategic interests of the US.”

美国对此并未表明官方立场，尽管日本是美国在太平洋地区比德国或法国更重要的盟国。德国或法国在亚洲的利害关系更小。但是，美国前顶级外交官库尔特丠贝尔(Kurt Campbell)表示：“私下里，我们强烈认同，日本和澳大利亚深化合作关系最符合美国的战略利益。”

Japan also believes that selling its Soryu-class submarines to Australia would boost joint operations with the US and Australia in the Pacific. “If there was not such a common strategic ambition, Japan would not be trying to export its treasured submarines to Australia,” says a senior Japanese official. Richard Armitage, a former US deputy secretary of state, adds that Washington would like to see Japan win since it pushed Tokyo so hard to change the law to allow arms exports. “It makes a big difference in terms of solidifying the relationship between Australia and Japan,” he says.

日本也认为，向澳大利亚出售苍龙级(Soryu-class)潜艇，将提升日本与美国和澳大利亚在太平洋的联合作战能力。“如果没有这样一种共同的战略抱负，日本将不会努力把宝贵的潜艇出售给澳大利亚，”一名日本高官表示。美国前副国务卿理查德阿米蒂奇(Richard Armitage)补充道，美国愿意看到日本胜出，因为美国曾竭力推动日本修改法律，以放行对外出口武器。“如果日本胜出的话，将在巩固澳大利亚与日本关系方面产生重大影响。”