太平洋舰队司令：美国已经做好在南海与中国作战的准备 [美国媒体]

United States ready to confront Beijing on South China Sea - admiral

太平洋舰队司令：美国已经做好准备在南海与中国作战

December 14, 2016

By Colin Packham



SYDNEY, Dec 14 (Reuters) - The United States is ready to confront China should it continue its overreaching maritime claims in the South China Sea, the head of the U.S. Pacific fleet said on Wednesday, comments that threaten to escalate tensions between the two global rivals.

悉尼，12月14日（路透社）- 美国太平洋舰队司令周三说，如果中国在南海继续过分声索海权，美国已经做好与其作战的准备，威胁将这两个全球竞争对手的紧张局势进一步升级。

China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

中国声称其拥有几乎整个富饶的南海，每年有价值5万亿美元的海运商品通过其间。而相邻的文莱，马来西亚，菲律宾，台湾和越南也对南海有主权主张。

The United States has called on China to respect the findings of arbitration court in The Hague earlier this year which invalidated its vast territorial claims in the strategic waterway.

美国已经要求中国尊重海牙国际仲裁庭今年早些时候作出的裁决，该裁决判定，中国对这片战略水道的主权主张无效。

But Beijing continues to act in an "aggressive" manner, to which the United States stands ready to respond, Admiral Harry Harris, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, said in a speech in Sydney.

海军上将、美国太平洋舰队司令Harry Harris说，由于北京持续表现出有倾略性的行为，美国已经准备好进行回应。

"We will not allow a shared domain to be closed down unilaterally no matter how many bases are built on artificial features in the South China Sea," he said. "We will cooperate when we can but we will be ready to confront when we must."

“我们不会允许共有的控制权被单方面改变，不管南海的人工岛上建了多少基地”，他说，“能合作的时候我们会合作，但是如果冲突不可避免，我们已经做好了准备。”

The comments threaten to stoke tensions between the United States and China, already heightened by President-elect Donald Trump's decision to accept a telephone call from Taiwan's president on Dec. 2 that prompted a diplomatic protest from Beijing.

这些话无异于给已经紧张起来的中美关系火上浇油，12月2日当选总统唐纳德川普决定接台湾总统的电话而引起了北京的外交抗议。

The United States estimates Beijing has added more than 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of land on seven features in the South China Sea over the past three years, building runways, ports, aircraft hangars and communications equipment.

美国估计中国过去三年在南海已经在7个地点填海造地超过3200英亩（1300公顷），建设跑道、码头、飞机库和通讯设施。

In response, the United States has conducted a series of freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, the latest of which came in October.

作为回应，美国在南海进行了一系列自由航行行动，最近一次是在10月。

The patrols have angered Beijing, with a senior Chinese official in July warning the practice may end in "disaster".

这些巡逻激怒了北京，7月份中国一位高级官员警告说这样的行为可能会导致“灾难”。

Harris said it was a decision for the Australian government whether the U.S. ally should undertake its own freedom-of-navigation operations, but said the United States would continue with the practice.

Harris说，澳大利亚政府会自行决定是否与其美国盟友一起进行这样的自由航行行动，但是美国这边肯定会继续。

"The U.S. fought its first war following our independence to ensure freedom of navigation," said Harris. "This is an enduring principle and one of the reasons our forces stand ready to fight tonight." (Editing by Lincoln Feast)

“我们美国独立后的第一场战争，就是为了确保能自由航行（G19注：说的可能是1812年与英国战争，战前发生了英国扣押美国商船，被用来作为向英国开战的借口之一），”Harris说。“这是我们永恒的原则，也是我们的部队今晚就可以投入战斗的原因。”（Lincoln Feast编辑）