日本政府正式决定购买钓鱼岛

The Japanese government made a formal decision to buy islands at the center of a dispute with China, a move to prevent the islands from ending up in Japanese nationalists' hands but one that provoked an angry response from Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

日本政府已正式决定购买中日争议岛屿，此举目的在于防止争议岛屿落入日本民族主义者手中，但引发了中国国务院总理温家宝的强烈不满。

Japan's chief government spokesman said it had agreed with the islands' private owners to purchase them, stressing it was in line with the government's policy of maintaining control of the islands in a 'peaceful and stable' manner.

日本内阁官房长官说，日本政府已经与私人岛主就购岛事宜达成了协议。他强调说，此举符合政府以和平稳定的方式维护对这些岛屿控制权的政策。

'The government has been renting the islands since fiscal 2002 to keep them under peaceful control. But since the current private owners intended to put them on the market, we've decided to buy them,' Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told a regular news conference.

日本内阁官房长官藤村修(Osamu Fujimura)在例行记者会上说：自2002财年以来政府就租下了这些岛屿，以使之处于和平的控制中；但现在的私人岛主打算将岛屿出售，于是我们决定购买这些岛屿。

On Tuesday, the cabinet approved the funding for the purchase, Mr. Fujimura said, adding that the ¥2.05 billion ($26 million) in funding would come from the government's reserve fund.

藤村修说，内阁周二批准了购岛拨款，并称这笔20.5亿日圆（约合2,600万美元）的款项将来自政府的预备金。

He also said that Japan and China have been in contact on the issue.

他还说，日本和中国在这件事情上一直保持着联系。

'Both governments have been communicating closely through diplomatic channels to avoid misunderstandings and unforeseen incidents' pertaining to the situation, Mr. Fujimura said. 'We do not wish for this matter to adversely affect the bilateral relationship.'

藤村修说，两国政府一直在通过外交途径密切沟通，以免发生误解和始料未及的事件；我们不希望此事对两国关系产生负面影响。

In addition, Japan has sent its most senior diplomat in charge of relations with China to Beijing, a government official said. The diplomat, Shinsuke Sugiyama, director-general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is scheduled to return tomorrow.

除此以外，一位政府官员说，日本已派遣负责对华关系的最高级别外交官前往北京。这名外交官是外务省亚洲及大洋洲事务局局长杉山晋辅(Shinsuke Sugiyama)，按计划他将于明天回国。

The move to buy the islands prompted anger from the highest levels of the Chinese leadership, with Mr. Wen saying late Monday that the islands-controlled by Japan, which calls them the Senkaku, but claimed by China and Taiwan; they're called Diaoyu in Chinese-are an inalienable part of China's territory. He said China would 'absolutely make no concession' on issues concerning its sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.

此举引发了中国最高领导层的强烈不满。温家宝周一晚间说，钓鱼岛是中国领土不可分割的一部分。据新华社报道，温家宝说，在主权和领土问题上，中国政府和人民绝不会退让半步。争议岛屿目前由日本控制，但中国大陆和台湾也声称对其拥有主权，这些岛屿在日本被称为“尖阁列岛”(Senkaku)，中文称之为“钓鱼岛”(Diaoyu)。

The Japanese central government decided to buy the islands after Tokyo's nationalist governor, Shintaro Ishihara, said the city was negotiating such a purchase. Mr. Ishihara had proposed building facilities on the islands, including a port, to fend off landings by Chinese activists opposing Japanese control.

在日本中央政府决定购买争议岛屿之前，东京都知事、民族主义者石原慎太郎(Shintaro Ishihara)曾说，东京都正在与岛主协商购岛事宜。石原慎太郎提议在岛上修建包括港口在内的设施，以防止反对日本控制这些岛屿的中国活动人士登岛。

Japanese officials have said the central government's purchase plans are aimed at preventing nationalists such as Mr. Ishishara from seizing control of the islands, a move which would be certain to further inflame nationalistic sentiment in China.A team from the Tokyo metropolitan government this month conducted a survey of the islands from surrounding waters.

日本官员一直说，中央政府的购岛计划旨在防止石原慎太郎这样的民族主义者掌握岛屿的控制权。如果石原慎太郎掌握了争议岛屿的控制权，无疑将进一步加剧中国的民族主义情绪。东京都政府的一个小组本月早些时候从周边海域对争议岛屿进行了调查。

The central government and the owner had agreed on the purchase Friday, Mr. Fujimura said, although he declined to comment on the price.

藤村修说，日本中央政府和岛主上周五已经就购岛事宜达成协议，不过他拒绝透露价格。一位曾参与购岛谈判的政府官员上周说，可能的价格将会是20.5亿日圆（合2,600万美元），并且说政府不会寻求在岛上进行任何开发项目。

A government official involved in the negotiations said last week the government wouldn't pursue any development on the islands.

此外，藤村修还对日本政府购岛决定可能会令中日关系恶化的看法不予理会，他重申这些岛屿不存在领土争端问题。

Mr. Fujimura also shrugged off views that the decision may worsen ties with China, reiterating that no territorial dispute exists over the islands. 'This is a domestic matter which should not trigger any diplomatic issues,' he said.

藤村修说，这是一个国内问题，不应引发任何外交争端。

Earlier Monday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said the country would take 'necessary measures' to protect what it believes is its territory following the Japanese government's announcement. The spokesman, Hong Lei, didn't specify what measures the country would take, and reiterated Beijing's stance that any unilateral moves by Japan over the islands are 'illegal and invalid.'

在日本政府宣布购岛消息后，周一早些时候中国外交部发言人洪磊说，中国将采取必要措施维护国家领土主权。他没有详述中国将采取哪些措施，只是强调了北京方面的立场，即日本对钓鱼岛及其附属岛屿采取的任何单方面措施都是非法、无效的。

It is unclear whether China will escalate its response beyond the standard rhetoric. The Chinese government is trying to maintain a diplomatic status quo ahead of a sensitive, once-a-decade leadership transition set to begin later this year.

目前尚不清楚中国是否会在这套标准辞令之外进一步加强对事态作出的反应。中国政府目前正试图在今年晚些时候领导人换届选举之前保持外交现状。每10年一次的换届选举在中国极为敏感。

But the spat prevented a formal meeting between the two nations' leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Vladivostok, Russia, this weekend. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Chinese President Hu Jintao only held a 15-minute discussion Sunday on the sidelines of the forum.

但是，中日岛屿之争导致双方领导人未能在上周末亚太国家峰会上举行正式会晤。在周日于俄罗斯符拉迪沃斯托克举行的亚太经济合作组织峰会期间，日本首相野田佳彦(Yoshihiko Noda)与中国国家主席胡锦涛仅在会议间隙进行了15分钟的会谈。

While the two sides agreed not to disclose the contents of the talks, Xinhua said Mr. Hu had told Mr. Noda he was against nationalization of the disputed islands, and that he believed the move would be invalid.

虽然中日两国同意不披露会谈内容，但新华社报道称，胡锦涛对野田佳彦说，他反对日本将争议岛屿国有化，他认为此举是无效的。

China appeared to take a small step Monday to ratchet up economic pressure on Japan. At a news conference, Dong Yang, secretary-general of the state-backed China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, linked slowing sales of Japanese cars to the diplomatic tussle.

为增加对日本的经济压力，周一中国似乎迈出了一小步。受政府支持的中国汽车工业协会(Association of Automobile Manufacturers)秘书长董扬在新闻发布会上表示，日系车在华销量放缓与中日外交冲突有关。

'I don't want to comment much, but I guess Japanese brands' sales slowed in August mostly due to the Diaoyu issue,' Mr. Dong said.

董扬说：我不想做过多评论，但我猜测日本品牌汽车8月份在华销量放缓的主要原因是钓鱼岛问题。

Sales of Nissan Motor Co. -1.74% vehicles in China slowed slightly in August, said Kimiyasu Nakamura, president of Dongfeng Nissan, on Saturday. The company sold 95,200 cars in China in August, compared with 98,100 in July.

东风日产(Dongfeng Nissan)总裁中村公泰(Kimiyasu Nakamura)上周六说，日产汽车(Nissan Motor Co.)8月份在华销量放缓。该公司8月份在华售出汽车95,200辆，低于7月份的98,100辆。

Despite frequent eruptions of anti-Japanese sentiment in China, Japan has tried to keep tensions under control with its biggest trading partner. This contrasts with Japan's tough stance toward South Korea, an economic rival, with which it also has a territorial dispute.

尽管中国国内频繁爆发反日情绪，但日本一直试图让自己与这个最大贸易伙伴的紧张关系处于控制之中。相比之下，日本在对韩国这个经济对手的态度上就较为强硬。日韩两国也有领土之争。

'It's not in the interest of either Japan or China to let this situation adversely affect the overall relationship between the two countries,' Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said in a recent interview.

日本外务大臣玄叶光一郎(Koichiro Gemba)近日接受采访时说，让这种局势对日中两国的整体关系造成负面影响，这不符合双方的利益。

In September 2010, China strongly protested after Japan filed charges against a Chinese fishing boat captain involved in a collision with Japanese coast guard vessels near the islands.

2010年9月，中国一艘渔船在钓鱼岛附近和日本海岸警卫队船只相撞，日本对中国渔船船长提起诉讼，中国对此表示强烈抗议。

Tensions flared again last month when activists from Hong Kong landed on one of the islands. Japanese officials didn't press charges and instead deported the members.

上月，香港活动人士登上钓鱼岛后，中日关系再度紧张。日本官员这次没有起诉登岛者，而是将他们驱逐出境。