美防長馬蒂斯試圖團(tuán)結(jié)東盟抗衡中國

US defence secretary Jim Mattis will try to unite Southeast Asian countries against China during a meeting of defence ministers in the Philippines on Monday, as President Donald Trump prepares to send a strong message to challenge Beijing.

周一，美國國防部長吉姆•馬蒂斯(Jim Mattis)將設(shè)法在于菲律賓舉行的國防部長會(huì)議上團(tuán)結(jié)東南亞各國抗衡中國。眼下美國總統(tǒng)唐納德•特朗普(Donald Trump)正準(zhǔn)備發(fā)出強(qiáng)硬信號(hào)來挑戰(zhàn)北京方面。

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has frequently been fragmented as the US and China jockey for influence. This has been magnified by a dispute over artificial islands in the South China Sea that China has built and equipped with military installations.

東盟(ASEAN)經(jīng)常被在該地區(qū)爭奪影響力的中美兩國搞得四分五裂。中國在南中國海建造并部署了軍事設(shè)施的人工島嶼所引發(fā)的爭端，進(jìn)一步加劇了這一事態(tài)。

At the same time the US has lost influence in the region after Mr Trump appeared to give his predecessor’s “pivot to Asia” short shrift, cancelling a trade pact that the region had spent years working towards.

與此同時(shí)，特朗普似乎并不重視其前任的“重返亞洲”(pivot to Asia)戰(zhàn)略，讓美國退出了該地區(qū)耗費(fèi)多年時(shí)間努力達(dá)成的一項(xiàng)貿(mào)易協(xié)定，此后，美國在東南亞的影響力迅速下降。

“[Asean gives] voice to those who want relations between states to be based on respect, and not on predatory economics or on the size of militaries,” Mr Mattis told reporters ahead of meetings in the Philippines, without mentioning China by name. “The United States remains unambiguously committed to supporting Asean.”

“(東盟讓)那些希望國家間關(guān)系基于尊重——而非基于掠奪性經(jīng)濟(jì)原則或軍隊(duì)規(guī)模——的國家發(fā)出了聲音，”馬蒂斯會(huì)前在菲律賓向記者們表示(他未點(diǎn)名提到中國)，“美國仍毫不含糊地致力于支持東盟。”

The US wants to develop a united front in Asean as a bulwark against China, which pursues individual bilateral relations with members at the expense of the bloc. It also wants Asean countries to work together to squeeze North Korea, whose nuclear ambitions have alarmed the US.

美國希望在東盟打造一條統(tǒng)一戰(zhàn)線，作為抗衡中國的堡壘。中國追求與單個(gè)成員國的雙邊關(guān)系的做法，損害了東盟整體的利益。美國還希望東盟國家共同向朝鮮施壓，后者的核野心令美國驚慌。

Mr Mattis’s comments echo those last week of US secretary of state Rex Tillerson, who promoted a vision of India as a democratic, populous counterweight to China and invited it to take on a leading security role in the Indo-Pacific region. The US has made India a major defence partner and is offering it a shopping list of top-flight weapon systems. Mr Mattis will meet India’s defence minister during his trip this week.

馬蒂斯的言論與上周美國國務(wù)卿雷克斯•蒂勒森(Rex Tillerson)的言論相呼應(yīng)，后者描繪了印度成為可與中國相抗衡的人口眾多的民主國家的愿景，并邀請印度在印度洋-太平洋地區(qū)的安全事務(wù)方面扮演主要角色。美國已經(jīng)將印度定位為自己的主要防務(wù)伙伴之一，并計(jì)劃為其供應(yīng)一系列一流武器。馬蒂斯將在本周亞洲之行期間與印度國防部長會(huì)晤。

He was due to hold an informal meeting later on Monday with Asean members, who have prevaricated over taking a joint strong position over the South China Sea. They have made no mention of a 2016 ruling in The Hague that found no legal basis for China’s territorial claims to the artificial islands.

他計(jì)劃于周一晚些時(shí)候與東盟成員國舉行非正式會(huì)晤。東盟一直沒有就在南中國海問題上聯(lián)合采取強(qiáng)硬立場明確表態(tài)，一直沒有提及海牙在2016年做出的一項(xiàng)裁決，該裁決認(rèn)定中國對人造島嶼的領(lǐng)土主張缺乏法律依據(jù)。

While Cambodia and Laos tend to fall within China’s orbit, US ally Thailand, Vietnam and until recently the Philippines have sided against China.

柬埔寨和老撾往往站在中國一邊，而美國的盟友泰國以及越南和菲律賓全都反對中國——菲律賓直到不久前才改變了這一立場。

But under President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines’ relationship with the US has soured. President Barack Obama cancelled a meeting in September last year after Mr Duterte described him on national television as a “son of a bitch”.

在羅德里戈•杜特爾特(Rodrigo Duterte)擔(dān)任菲律賓總統(tǒng)期間，菲律賓與美國的關(guān)系出現(xiàn)了惡化。去年杜特爾特在全國電視節(jié)目上辱罵時(shí)任美國總統(tǒng)巴拉克•奧巴馬(Barack Obama)“婊子養(yǎng)的”，之后奧巴馬取消了同年9月與杜特爾特會(huì)晤的計(jì)劃。

Mr Trump has sought to draw closer to Mr Duterte, who is sometimes called “the Trump of Asia” and is known for his loose remarks and a bloody crackdown on suspected drug dealers. But even Mr Trump’s overtures to a man many abhor as a human rights abuser have at times been rebuffed.

特朗普一直尋求與杜特爾特拉近關(guān)系，但即便是特朗普的示好有時(shí)也會(huì)碰一鼻子灰。杜特爾特有時(shí)被人稱作“亞洲的特朗普”，并以講話口無遮攔以及血腥鎮(zhèn)壓販毒嫌疑人而著稱。許多人憎恨杜特爾特，認(rèn)為他踐踏人權(quán)。

Mr Duterte, whose country still participates in joint military exercises with the US despite threats to cancel them, described the US as a “lousy” place in July and said he would not accept Mr Trump’s invitation to visit the White House. The White House has nevertheless confirmed that Mr Trump is due to visit Manila, home to Trump Tower Manila, as part of his 12-day regional tour next month, at which he will meet Asean leaders.

菲律賓威脅過要取消與美國的聯(lián)合軍事演習(xí)，不過目前仍會(huì)參加。今年7月，杜特爾特聲稱美國是個(gè)“極糟”的地方，他不會(huì)接受特朗普向他發(fā)出的訪問白宮的邀請。不過白宮已證實(shí)特朗普將訪問馬尼拉。下月特朗普將對亞洲進(jìn)行為期12天的訪問，會(huì)晤東盟各國領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人，而馬尼拉將是其中一站。特朗普馬尼拉大廈(Trump Tower Manila)就坐落在這個(gè)城市。

The Philippines last year declared a new friendship with China, having previously accused it of seizing a disputed shoal in 2012, and this month accepted a new delivery of armaments.

菲律賓以前指責(zé)中國在2012年占據(jù)了中菲之間存在爭議的一處淺灘，去年卻宣布與中國建立新的友誼，本月還接收了一批中方新交付的武器。

But the US has also stepped up its support of Mr Duterte’s efforts to overcome Islamist fighters in Mindanao, a largely Muslim island to which the US laid siege in 1906, providing surveillance, intelligence, training and supplies to help Mr Duterte's government retake the city of Marawi, which the US said had attracted Isis militants fleeing from Syria and Iraq.

不過美國也加大了力度支持杜特爾特打擊棉蘭老島的伊斯蘭主義武裝分子，菲律賓政府收復(fù)馬拉維市(Marawi)的行動(dòng)中，美方提供了監(jiān)控、情報(bào)、訓(xùn)練和補(bǔ)給方面的幫助。棉蘭老島是一個(gè)以穆斯林人口為主的島嶼，1906年美國曾圍困該島。根據(jù)美方的說法，一些從敘利亞和伊拉克逃出的伊拉克和黎凡特伊斯蘭國(ISIS)武裝分子流入了該島的馬拉維市。

Mr Mattis will meet his counterparts from Japan and South Korea on Monday to discuss North Korea and what he described as “the regional security crisis” provoked by its nuclear ambitions. He is also due to visit Thailand and South Korea on his eight-day tour.

馬蒂斯將于周一與日本和韓國國防部長會(huì)晤，討論朝鮮問題以及他所謂的朝鮮核野心引發(fā)的“地區(qū)安全危機(jī)”。他還計(jì)劃在其為期8天的行程中訪問泰國和韓國。