China’s Aircraft Carrier: What More To Explain To the U.S.?

Published in Sina
(China) on 15 August 2011
by Wen Xian (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Liangzi He. Edited by Drue Fergison.
Source: People’s Net — People’s Daily Overseas Edition

In the routine press conference of the U.S. State Department on Aug. 10, China’s aircraft carrier was the main topic. In 10 rounds of Q&A, the new spokesperson of the U.S.State Department Victoria Nuland was unable to cope with the questions. When speaking, the spokesperson was not only lacking in logic but also revealed a deep-rooted paranoid. There were three key words in Nuland’s Q&A.

The first key word is “concern.” This is caused by China’s aircraft carrier undergoing trials on Aug. 10. Nuland first announced that the U.S. has always been concerned about the development of China’s aircraft carrier, she also said that it was only one part of America’s concern about China since China is not as transparent as other countries.

When Nuland was expressing America’s “concern” about China, she didn’t mention China’s own concerns, which makes her biased. China has a coastline of more than 18,000 km. China has also suffered a lot in its history. Not long ago, American aircraft carriers showed off their power in front of China’s doorstep. China’s national security, sovereignty over its territorial waters, maritime rights and interests are inevitably China’s greatest concern. Before this, among the five permanent members of the United Nations, only China had no aircraft carriers. However, the number of American aircraft carriers is more than half of all the carriers around the world. China’s development of its own aircraft carriers is proper and reasonable; isn't the U.S. a bit overbearing when it declares that it is “concerned” about China right after it started to develop its own aircraft carrier? There is no wonder that Nuland’s “concern” was interrogated at the conference; in the past 10 years, American military expenses has grown at a rate faster than that of China. The budget of American national defense is over $600 billion. In the situation where the U.S. enjoys such a great advantage, why is the U.S. still so concerned about China’s defense equipment policy and defense spending?

The second key word is “transparency.” Nuland patiently expressed that the U.S. has always thought that China lacked transparency in its military investments, and also mentioned that China’s transparency cannot compete with that of America’s. She also said that the U.S. itself needs greater transparency. On this issue, Nuland harped on the same old tune, taking one part for the whole. In recent years, China has explained its security situation, defense policy, the People’s Liberation Army’s modernization, the use of armed forces, defense mobilization, reserve forces construction, military legal system, defense industry, defense system, the establishment of mutual military trust and arms control in its white papers, which were appraised widely. Canada’s defense attaché to China, Capt. Mike McGrath, said that there’s no doubt that China has been trying hard to increase its military transparency. On July 27, the spokesperson for the Chinese defense department announced information regarding its first aircraft carrier; such a candid announcement of the information pertaining to the aircraft carrier is a positive step toward enhancing military transparency in the Pacific. Nuland’s old tune was scoffed at by reporters again: Is China’s aircraft carrier invisible or a miniature model? You already know it’s there, what is there to say about transparency? On the contrary, when America’s aircraft carriers cruise along China’s coastline, America’s high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft also fly near China’s coastal areas; did the U.S. transparently inform China of such developments?

The third key word was “explanation.” Nuland claimed that the U.S. welcomed China’s explanation regarding its aircraft carrier. She also hoped that China would release an official statement regarding the aircraft carrier. China’s defense department spokesperson has long pointed out that China has reconstructed a platform for a waste carrier for research and training. China’s research of the carrier is to strengthen the ability to maintain its national security and preserve peace. China adheres to the principle of peaceful development. China’s defense policy will not be changed, neither will China’s strategy of coastal defense. With such genuine explanations, why would the U.S. need another “official explanation”? Nuland’s request was rebuffed by correspondents: China said that it needed a carrier, isn’t that a good enough explanation?

In fact, it’s the spokesperson of the U.S. State Department who needs to explain what kind of pedantic mindset she had behind all her ridiculous words.


温宪:中国航母,美国还想要什么解释?

2011年08月15日12:09 人民网—人民日报海外版

在8月10日的美国国务院例行新闻发布会上,中国航母成了一个主要话题。在十来个问答回合中,美国国务院上任不久的发言人纽兰女士左支右绌。话锋腾挪间,这位发言人不仅因逻辑混乱遭到穷究,且不经意间再次凸显根深蒂固的偏执。  纽兰在这番问答中有三个关键词。

  首先为“关切”。话题是因中国航母平台8月10日进行出海航行试验而起。纽兰上来就说,美国对中国发展航母一直表示关切,“这只是美国认为中国在更大范围内不似其他国家那样透明的关切的一部分”。

  纽兰在表达美方“关切”的同时,丝毫没有提及中国的关切,这便陷于偏颇。中国有着长1.8万多公里的海岸线。历史上的中国积贫积弱,在西方的船坚炮利面前饱经屈辱。就在不久前,美国的航空母舰还在中国的家门口耀武扬威。中国的国家安全、领海主权和海洋权益不能不是中国武装力量的极大关切。在此之前,联合国五个常任理事国中,唯独中国没有航母。而美国航母数量则占全球航母总数一半以上。中国发展航母本是题中应有之义,刚一起步,便“被关切”,是不是有些过于霸道?!难怪纽兰此番“关切”当场遭到诘问:在过去十年,美国军费开支增长速度快于中国。美国国防部预算在6000亿美元以上。在美国仍享有如此超强优势的情形下,为何美国对中国装备政策、防御开支如此关切?

  其次是“透明”。纽兰不厌其烦地说,美国一直公开认为中方在军力投射等方面缺乏透明,并称中国在这些方面不如美国透明。美国需要看到更多的透明度。在这一问题上,纽兰女士老调重弹,很有些以偏概全的味道。近年来,中国以国防白皮书等形式系统阐述安全形势、国防政策、人民解放军的现代化建设、武装力量运用、国防动员和后备力量建设、军事法制、国防科技工业、国防经费、建立军事互信、军控与裁军等内容的做法得到普遍好评。加拿大驻华大使馆国防武官马克曾就此表示,“在我看来毫无疑问的是,中国正在努力增加军事透明度的水平。”中国国防部发言人于7月27日宣布首艘航母相关信息,中国如此坦然地公布航母信息,是增进太平洋地区大国之间军力透明的积极一步。纽兰的老调再次遭到记者奚落:难道中国的航母是隐形,或是微型的吗?你知道它就在那里,对此有何透明不透明可言?反过来说,当美国航母在中国近海游弋、美国高空侦察机屡屡在中国沿海地区抵近飞行时,是否曾经很“透明”地通知中方了呢?

  再次是“解释”。纽兰称,美方欢迎中方就需要航母这一装备做出任何解释。后又希望中方就这艘航母做出正式解释。中方发言人早就指出,中国利用一艘废旧的航母平台进行改建,用于科研和训练。中国研究航母发展,是为了增加维护国家安全和维护和平的能力。中国坚持走和平发展道路。中国的国防政策不会改变,中国近海防御的战略也没有发生改变。说得如此真切,美国还想再要什么“正式解释”?纽兰的这一要求再次遭到记者当场反驳:中方说“因为我们需要航母”,这难道不已经是很好的解释了吗?

  其实,倒是美国国务院发言人需要解释一下,在所有这些遭到揶揄的言辞背后,到底泛着怎样迂腐的思维定势。

  (作者为本报北美中心分社首席记者)

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