中国向钓鱼岛派遣海监船宣示主权

Chinese state media said Tuesday that two government surveillance vessels had reached waters near the disputed Senkaku islands, a day after Japan announced it planned to purchase some of the islands from private owners.

中国国家媒体周二报道，中国政府两艘海监船已经抵达中日争议岛屿尖阁列岛(Senkaku islands, 中国称钓鱼岛)附近海域。此前一天日本宣布计划从私人岛主手中购买这些岛屿。

The state-run Xinhua news agency said two China Marine Surveillance vessels had reached waters near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku on Tuesday morning in order to 'assert the country's sovereignty.' The islands are known in Chinese as Diaoyu.

新华社报道说，两艘中国海监船周二上午已经抵达钓鱼岛外围海域，目的是为了“宣示主权”。

The presence of new Chinese government vessels near the Senkaku marks an effort by Beijing to assert its sovereignty claims over the disputed territory. The government is under public pressure to more forcefully respond to Japanese moves to shore up control of the islands.

中国海监船出现在尖阁列岛附近海域标志着中国政府试图对这一争议岛屿宣示主权。处于公众压力之下的中国政府不得不更有力地应对日本试图加强对这些岛屿控制的举措。

China Marine Surveillance is a paramilitary maritime law-enforcement agency that has found itself increasingly at the center of territorial disputes between China and its neighbors. Last spring, for example, at least one ship from the agency was engaged in a volatile and prolonged standoff with Philippine government vessels in the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

中国海监总队是一个准军事化的海上执法机构，该机构日渐身处中国及其邻国之间发生的领土争端的核心位置。比如去年春天至少有一艘中国海监船在南中国海(South China Sea, 中国称南海)的斯卡伯勒浅滩(Scarborough Shoal, 中国称黄岩岛)在情势复杂的状况下同菲律宾政府船只长期对峙。

It wasn't immediately clear whether the ships were armed or had encountered resistance from Japanese patrols in the area.

目前尚不清楚两艘海监船是否配备了武器，也不清楚其是否遭到该地区日本巡逻艇的抵抗。

Japan has controlled the Senkaku for decades, though China has consistently said the islands have belonged to it since ancient times and Japanese moves to shore up control are illegal.

中国一直声称钓鱼岛自古以来就属于中国，日本加强对该岛控制的做法是非法的，不过日本已经控制这些岛屿长达数十年。