日本防卫大臣北泽俊美(Toshimi Kitazawa)昨日呼吁研判中国海军的意图。上周末，大约10艘中国战舰和潜艇出现在冲绳附近的公海，编队规模大得不寻常。
北泽俊美的言论突显出日本防卫部门的担忧。日方担忧中国快速壮大的海军实力，及其对东亚两大强国围绕海洋国土及资源的长期争议的影响。
一名日本官员表示，中国海军战舰现身冲绳附近公海之前，上周在中国东海曾发生一起"极其危险的"事件，当时一架中国舰载直升机飞到离一艘日本驱逐舰不到90米的距离。这名官员表示，东京方面已"通过外交渠道"对中国的这种行为提出抗议。
北泽俊美承认，上述中国战舰（包括潜艇、驱逐舰和护卫舰）始终在公海范围内。但他表示，这一行动的"空前"性质，意味着需要进行更多调查。
防卫省一名官员表示，穿越日本南部冲绳本岛与宫古群岛之间海域的中国战舰数目，近年来稳步增加，从2008年的4艘战舰一次穿越，到2009年的5艘战舰一次穿越，再到上月的6艘战舰又一次穿越。
"我想认真研判一下（最近一次穿越行动）是否是针对我国的，然后考虑如何回应，"北泽俊美表示。
日本防卫部门很多人士长期担心，中国海军正越来越成功地把自己从一支薄弱的近海防御力量，转变为一支真正的海军。
日本和中国对东海一些岛屿的主权存在争议，两国对东海潜在巨大的天然气资源提出的经济主张也有重叠。
为缓解紧张关系，日中双方曾在2008年达成一项里程碑式协议，同意在争议区域联合开发天然气田。但日本官员表示，中方迄今仍不愿认真与日方接触，商讨如何实施这一协议。
译者/和风
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001032187
Japan's defence minister yesterday called for efforts to establish the intentions of an extraordinarily large group of about 10 Chinese warships and submarines that passed through international waters near Okinawa last weekend.
The comments by Toshimi Kitazawa highlight concerns in the Japanese security establishment about China's rapidly growing naval power and its implications for long-standing disputes over maritime territory and resources between east Asia's premier powers.
A Japanese official said the passage of the Chinese naval vessels followed an "extremely dangerous" incident in the East China Sea last week in which a ship-based Chinese helicopter came within 90 metres of a Japanese destroyer. Tokyo had protested about the manoeuvre "through diplomatic channels", the official said.
Mr Kitazawa acknowledged that the Chinese vessels, which included submarines, destroyers and frigates, had remained within international waters but said the "unprecedented" nature of the action needed more investigation.
A defence official said the number of Chinese vessels passing together through the gap between Japan's southern Okinawa and Miyako islands had grown steadily in recent years, from four during one passage in 2008, to five on another occasion in 2009 and six during yet another last month.
"I want to look carefully into whether [the most recent passage] was directed against our nation and then consider how to respond," Mr Kitazawa said.
Many in Japan's defence establishment have long been concerned about increasingly successful efforts of China's People's Liberation Army Navy to transform itself from a weak coastal defence force into a genuine navy.
Japan and China dispute sovereignty over islands in the East China Sea and have overlapping economic claims to its potentially vast gas resources.
In a landmark agreement aimed at easing tensions, Tokyo and Beijing in 2008 agreed to jointly develop gas fields in disputed areas but Japanese officials say their Chinese counterparts have yet to engage seriously in how to implement the agreement.
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