中國駐英大使批評美國插手南海事務
A top Chinese diplomat has criticised the US over a “politically motivated” arbitration case that dismissed Beijing’s claim to most of the South China Sea, saying Washington wanted to use legal process to humiliate Beijing as its warships challenged Chinese sovereignty in the region.
中國一名高級外交官針對一起“出於政治動機的”仲裁案批評美國，稱美國政府想要通過司法程序來羞辱中國政府，同時其軍艦在地區挑戰中國的主權。這起仲裁案不承認中國在南中國海的大部分主權主張。
The comments by Liu Xiaoming, China’s ambassador to London, yesterday came as Admiral John Richardson, the US Navy chief, called on Beijing and other Asian governments to “exercise thoughtfulness and restraint” after last week’s ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
中國駐英國大使劉曉明昨日發表這番言論之際，美國海軍作戰部長、海軍上將約翰•理查森(Admiral John Richardson)呼籲中國和其他亞洲國家政府在上週海牙常設仲裁法院(Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague)作出裁決後表現出“體諒和剋制”。
“There should be a big question about US behaviour in all of this . . . I think this arbitration case is politically motivated,” Mr Liu said.
“美國在這一切事態中的行爲有很大問題……我認爲這個仲裁案是有政治動機的，”劉曉明說。
“On the one hand they [the US] send their warships and airplanes to challenge China’s sovereignty and on the other they think this might be a good legal case launched . . . to try to humiliate China diplomatically, to damage China’s image and also give them a legal basis with which to challenge China.”
“一方面，他們（美國）派遣軍艦和飛機來挑戰中國的主權，另一方面，他們認爲這可能是一個好的法律案件……試圖在外交上羞辱中國，損害中國的形象，同時也給他們一個挑戰中國的法律依據。”
Beijing reacted with fury to the verdict of the international tribunal, in a suit brought by the Philippines, which found there was “no legal basis” under the UN’s Convention on the Law of the Sea for China’s claims to more than 80 per cent of the South China Sea.
中國政府對這家國際仲裁庭的裁決作出了憤怒反應。仲裁庭在裁決中表示，根據《聯合國海洋法公約》(UNCLOS)，中國聲索南中國海80%以上疆域的主張“沒有法律依據”。
Speaking in Beijing, Adm Richardson told the Financial Times: “We would expect that [China and the Philippines] would abide by the ruling . . . More than anything, the ruling gives all claimants to the South China Sea disputes a lot of reasons to stop and think.”
理查森上將在北京對英國《金融時報》表示：“我們將期待（中國和菲律賓）遵守裁決……比什麼都重要的是，這項裁決給南中國海糾紛的所有當事方很多理由停下來思考。”
His appeal for calm followed reports by the official Xinhua news agency that construction by Beijing on man-made islands under its control would “never stop halfway”. Xinhua quoted a Chinese military spokesman as saying the air force had started regular patrols.
在理查森上將呼籲各方冷靜之前，據中國官方的新華社報道，中國政府在其控制下的島礁建造人工島的活動“絕不會……半途而廢”。新華社援引中國軍方發言人的話稱，中國空軍已開始在南中國海上空定期巡邏。
US Navy spy aircraft have patrolled the Chinese coast for decades. In recent years the Pentagon has launched “freedom of navigation” exercises that Adm Richardson said were targeted at China’s “excessive maritime claims”.
美國海軍偵察機在中國沿海上空巡邏已有幾十年。近年五角大樓發起了“航行自由”行動，理查森上將稱，這項行動是針對中國“過分的海上聲索”。
But amid its denunciations of the tribunal as “illegitimate”, China has signalled a desire to manage tensions. Mr Liu said he hoped all countries with South China Sea coasts would come to the negotiating table and accept a Chinese proposal to shelve disputes and work towards joint development of the sea’s resources.
但是，在譴責仲裁庭“非法”的同時，中國也發出了有意管理緊張局勢的信號。劉曉明表示，他希望南中國海周邊所有國家都坐到談判桌前，接受中國的擱置爭議提議，致力於聯合開發南海資源。
He added the government in Manila, led by Rodrigo Duterte, had an opportunity to create a “turning point” in China-Philippines relations by joining talks.
他補充說，由新總統羅德里戈•杜特爾特(Rodrigo Duterte)領導的菲律賓政府通過參加談判，有一個創建中菲關係“轉折點”的契機。
But, efforts towards such talks appeared to hit a snag yesterday when Perfecto Yasay, the Philippines foreign secretary, said he rejected any offer from China to engage in talks “outside of and in disregard” of the tribunal’s ruling. Such a course would not be consistent with Manila’s constitution interest, Mr Yasay told the ABS-CBN network.
但是，開啓這種談判的努力昨日碰了釘子。菲律賓外交部長佩費克託•雅賽(Perfecto Yasay)表示，他拒絕中方關於在“脫離且無視”仲裁庭裁決的情況下開展談判的任何提議。雅賽對菲律賓ABS-CBN電視臺表示，那種做法將不符合馬尼拉方面的憲法利益。
