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習近平氏来日 日中外交の難しさ浮き彫りに

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 18, 2009)
Xi's visit highlights delicate China ties
習近平氏来日 日中外交の難しさ浮き彫りに(12月18日付・読売社説)

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping's visit to Japan this week left some bitter feelings among the Japanese public toward China. Most of the irritation can be blamed on both governments' tactless handling of Xi's hastily arranged audience with the Emperor.
 中国の習近平国家副主席の日本訪問は、天皇陛下と習氏との会見を巡る日中両国政府の不手際によって、日本国民の対中感情にしこりを残す形になった。

Xi is widely seen as a future Chinese leader. It is regrettable that his visit did not serve as an opportunity for the two nations to move their bilateral relationship toward a new stage.
 中国の「次代のリーダー」と目される習氏の来日が、今後の日中関係の展望を切り開く契機にならなかったことは残念だ。

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Xi agreed during their meeting to promote a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship between the two nations. As was to be expected, the prime minister called on China to proceed with joint development of gas fields in the East China Sea--a pending issue between the two nations--and to improve its military transparency.
 鳩山首相と習氏の会談では、日中の戦略的互恵関係を推進していくことで一致した。首相が、日中間の懸案である東シナ海のガス田共同開発を前進させることや、中国の軍事力の透明性を高めるよう求めたのは当然である。

Xi, for his part, made a point of bringing up the Taiwan issue as well as ethnic minorities in the Tibet and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions. Xi said these matters concern China's core interests.
 習氏は台湾問題の重要性とともに、チベット、ウイグルの少数民族問題が「中国の核心的利益」であると指摘、日本側にくぎを刺すのを忘れなかった。

That may be so, but we consider it imperative that China first stop its suppression of ethnic minorities and improve human rights in these regions by holding dialogue with minority representatives.
 だが、少数民族問題ではまず、中国側が弾圧行為をやめ、対話を通じて、人権状況を改善することが先決ではないか。

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Xi's swift rise

Xi is a son of former Chinese Vice Premier Xi Zhongxun. In the autumn of 2007, Xi Jinping was given a special two-rank promotion to become a member of the nine-seat Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. In the spring of 2008, he was elected vice president of China.
 習氏は、習仲勲・元副首相を父とする高級幹部の子弟だ。一昨年秋、2階級特進で、党中央政治局常務委員(9人で構成)に抜てきされ、昨春には国家副主席に選出された。

His portfolio also includes serving as the point man of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He thus is seen as the most promising candidate to be the next president of China.
 昨夏の北京五輪では運営の責任者を務めるなど、次期国家主席の最有力候補と見られている。

The Prime Minister's Office afforded Xi state head-level treatment, such as specially arranging an audience with the Emperor and holding a state dinner hosted by Hatoyama. Xi's political weight appears to have been taken into consideration in making these arrangements.
 首相官邸が天皇陛下との会見を特例として実現したり、首相主催の夕食会を開いたりして国家元首級の扱いをしたのも、習氏の立場を重視したためだろう。

China had pressed Japan hard to set up Xi's meeting with the Emperor. Given that Chinese President Hu Jintao had an audience with the Emperor during his visit to Japan as vice president in 1998, the Chinese government likely wanted the same level of treatment given to Xi.
 中国側も天皇陛下との会見実現を強く求めた。胡錦濤国家主席が副主席だった98年に来日した際に、天皇陛下と会見していたこともあり、習氏に同等の待遇を求めたものと見られる。

China likely believed that a meeting with the Emperor would enhance Xi's authority as a leading figure at home.
 中国側は、天皇と会見することが、指導者としての権威付けになると考えたのだろう。

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Power struggle continues

But the power struggle to determine Hu's successor is rumbling on. While Xi is backed by former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who still wields considerable influence even after his retirement, Hu has thrown his weight behind Vice Premier Li Keqiang.
 ただ、中国では、引退後も影響力のある江沢民前国家主席を後ろ盾とする習氏と、胡主席が支持する李克強副首相との後継争いはまだ決着していない。

The arm wrestle to determine the next Chinese president seems set to continue for some time.
 習氏に代表される勢力と、李氏を推す勢力の綱引きが、当面続くと見られている。

China heaped praise on the Emperor's visit to that nation in 1992, saying it helped Beijing emerge from its international isolation after the Tiananmen Square incident. This indicates that the Emperor's overseas trips could have political implications.
 92年の天皇陛下の訪中は、天安門事件による国際的孤立からの脱却に効果があった、と中国側は評価している。天皇外遊の政治的側面を示すものだ。

In light of the importance of Japan-China ties, any trouble of the kind that tarnished Xi's visit must not be repeated. Both governments must tread very carefully when handling issues particularly relating to the Emperor's public duties, including holding an audience with him.
 日中関係の重要性からも、今回のようなトラブルはあってはならない。天皇の会見など公的行為にかかわる問題には、日中双方に慎重な対応が求められよう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 18, 2009)
(2009年12月18日01時56分 読売新聞)
by kiyoshimat | 2009-12-18 05:44 | 英字新聞

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