维和部队弹药支援一事凸显日韩嫌隙

The awkward exchange between Tokyo and Seoul over ammunition Japan provided to South Korean troops taking part in a United Nations peacekeeping operation highlights the deep diplomatic difficulties between the two neighbors.

针对日本向韩国的联合国维和部队提供弹药一事两国各执一词，这凸显出两国之间难以解决的外交困境。

Japan provided 10,000 bullets to South Korean peacekeepers in strife-torn South Sudan on Monday through the U.N. But claims by the two governments over details of the transaction have been inconsistent. The arrangement has also led to speculation Tokyo is trying to curb the nation's self-imposed ban on arms-exports as part of an attempt to expand its military profile. It was the first time Japan has provided arms to a foreign military since World War II.

日本周一通过联合国向韩国驻南苏丹维和部队提供10,000发子弹。但两国政府对细节的描述却并不一致。此事也激起外界的猜测，认为日本政府试图打破为限制日本军事作用扩张而自行制定的武器出口禁令。这是自第二次世界大战以来日本首次向外国军队提供武器。

Japan's main government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, reiterated Wednesday that the decision was based on 'urgent and humanitarian' needs in the African nation, and said the request was made both by the U.N. and South Korean troops taking part in the mission.

日本主要政府发言人菅义伟(Yoshihide Suga)周三重申，这是根据南苏丹的紧急人道主义需求做出的决定，而且这是联合国和参加南苏丹维和任务的韩国军队两方面提出的请求。

But South Korean officials maintain Seoul asked the United Nations to provide ammunition, not Japan, and received the bullets through the world body.

但韩国官员坚持称，韩国是向联合国提出的弹药支援请求，而不是日本，这批子弹也是通过联合国接收的。

South Korean troops 'asked the U.N. for support in increasing it defense capability and received ammunition through the U.N. No more. No less,' said South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Tai-young on Tuesday.

韩国外交部发言人Cho Tai-young周二表示，韩国军队是向联合国请求支援军防能力的，也是通过联合国接收弹药的。情况就是这样。

Ties between Tokyo and Seoul have been chilled by arguments over Japan's past occupation of Korea and by a dispute over islands claimed by both countries.

日本与韩国关系遇冷，因为有关日本过去占领韩国的争议持续不断，岛屿领土纠纷也给两国关系蒙上阴影。

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said the ammunition was provided based on a 'proactive pacifism' security policy. Japanese opposition parties have slammed the move as side-stepping Japan's self-imposed ban on arms-exports that dates back to 1967.

日本首相安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)此前表示，提供弹药是基于“积极和平主义”的安全政策。日本反对党则批评此举是在规避1967年制定的武器出口禁令。

'I think Japan was hoping this would help improve bilateral ties, at least on the working-level,' said Masafumi Kaneko, senior research fellow at the Center for International and Strategic Studies at PHP Institute, a Tokyo think tank. But he added that South Korea appears wary of any domestic 'backlash' that could result from the perception the government is going along with a more assertive Japanese foreign policy.

日本智库PHP研究所(PHP Institute)国际战略研究中心高级研究员Masafumi Kaneko说，他认为日本希望此事可以改善双边关系，至少是在工作层面上。但他说，韩国似乎是担心国内的批评，国内民众会感觉韩国政府是在姑息日本更加强硬的外交政策。

'It just shows how difficult it is for the two nations to improve defense cooperation,' he said.

他说，此事显示出日、韩两国改善防务合作难度巨大。

Since coming to power last December, Mr. Abe has called for strengthening the military and revising the pacifist constitution. In recent weeks he has pushed his defense and security agenda hard. Last week the government adopted a new security strategy calling for a re-evaluation of the weapons ban. On Tuesday the Cabinet approved a draft budget to increase defense spending by the most in nearly two decades.

自去年12月上台以来，安倍一直主张加强军事力量、修订和平宪法。最近几周，他一直在大力推动他的国防和安全议案。上周日本政府采纳了新的安全策略，提出重新评估武器禁令。周二，日本内阁批准了一项预算草案，国防支出的增加数额为近二十年来的最高水平。