美国防部长访问中国参观辽宁舰

China's military opened its doors on Monday to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, offering America's top defense official a rare look at its new aircraft carrier.

中国军方周一打开大门接待美国国防部长哈格尔(Chuck Hagel)，为这位美国最高防务官员提供了一次难得的参观中国新航空母舰的机会。

The two-hour visit was the first China has granted to a foreign official seeking a close view of the Liaoning, a refurbished Ukrainian ship that is the centerpiece of the county's naval ambitions.

这次历时两个小时的参观是中国第一次授权外国官员近距离观察辽宁舰。这艘航空母舰进口自乌克兰，经过了翻修，是中国实现其海洋抱负的重要一环。

The U.S. ambassador to China, former Sen. Max Baucus, and top Pentagon officials joined Mr. Hagel on the tour during the defense secretary's first visit to China since taking command at the Pentagon a year ago.

美国驻华大使、前参议员鲍卡斯(Max Baucus)和数名五角大楼高级官员与哈格尔一道参观了辽宁舰。这是哈格尔一年前就任美国国防部长以来第一次访华。

The visit provided American officials with a rare opportunity to assess the capabilities of the Liaoning and Chinese military development. Chinese officials compared their carrier development to the beginning of the American carrier fleet in the early 1900s, U.S. officials said.

这次参观为美国官员提供了一次难得的评估辽宁舰和中国军力发展状况的机会。美国官员们说，中国官员将中国的航母发展与20世纪初期美国航母舰队的初建阶段相提并论。

'They know they have a long way to go in naval aviation,' said one defense official traveling with Mr. Hagel.

与哈格尔一同访华的一名防务官员说，中国官员知道他们在海军航空方面还有很长的路要走。

The official praised China for allowing Mr. Hagel to visit the ship as a milestone in military openness.

该官员称赞中国允许哈格尔登舰的做法是军事开放的里程碑。

The tour came hours after Mr. Hagel delivered a pointed message to China about its relationship with its neighbors.

而就在数小时之前，哈格尔刚刚就中国与邻国之间的关系发表了尖锐评论。

Over the weekend in Tokyo, Mr. Hagel chided China over its long-standing disputes with its neighbors over control of waters in islands in the East China Sea and South China Sea.

周末期间，哈格尔在东京指责中国在东中国海(East China Sea, 中国称东海)和南中国海(South China Sea, 中国称南海)岛屿主权问题上与邻国陷入长期纠纷。

The Liaoning, named after the northeastern Chinese province where it is based, isn't yet considered operationally effective. Pilots are still learning how to take off from and land on the aircraft carrier, and it lacks the full complement of technologically sophisticated support ships that characterize U.S. carrier groups.

辽宁舰以该舰基地所在的东北部省份取名，尚没有作战能力。飞行员仍在学习如何在航母上起飞和降落，该舰也缺乏像美国航母群那样的技术成熟的支持性舰船。

Still, the Liaoning serves as a symbol of China's regional ambitions and growing military might. In November, the Philippines warned that the Liaoning's first training mission in the South China Sea could aggravate regional tensions.

但辽宁舰是中国的地区雄心和军事实力增强的象征。去年11月，菲律宾警告称，辽宁舰在南中国海的首次训练可能会加剧地区紧张局势。

A Chinese company purchased the carrier's empty hull from Ukraine in 1998, and the refurbished carrier made its first sea trial under Chinese control in August 2011.

1998年一家中国公司从乌克兰购买了航空母舰的空壳，2011年8月份，这艘重新改造过的中国航母首次出海试航。