美國考慮加大歐洲和太平洋軍事部署
The US is debating whether to position more naval assets in Europe as Russian warships and submarines operate at levels not seen in two decades, according to the new head of the US navy.
美國海軍新任作戰部長約翰理查森上將(Admiral John Richardson)表示，在俄羅斯軍艦和潛艇活動升級至20年未見的水平之際，美國正就是否在歐洲部署更多海軍力量展開辯論。
Admiral John Richardson, chief of naval operations, told the Financial Times the navy was reassessing its global posture in the face of the Russian activity, which stretches from the Black Sea and Mediterranean to the Pacific.
理查森向英國《金融時報》表示，面對從黑海和地中海一直到太平洋的俄羅斯海上活動，美國海軍正在重新評估其全球部署。
“Their submarine force and their navy are as active as they have been in a long time — 20 years or so,” Adm Richardson said. “How are we going to posture our forces to make sure that we maintain the appropriate balance and are suitably engaged?”
理查森上將表示：“他們的潛艇力量和海軍活動程度與很久以前——大約20年前——差不多。那麼，我們要怎樣部署我們的力量，才能確保我們能維持適當平衡、並恰當地介入？”
Adm Richardson said the navy was evaluating whether to boost its presence in Europe and the Pacific. “That is the conversation we are having right now.”
理查森上將表示，美國海軍正在評估是否要加大在歐洲和太平洋的軍事存在。“這是我們目前正在商討的。”
While some of Russia’s activity stems from its involvement in Syria, its navy has been increasingly active elsewhere. Admiral Viktor Chirkov, head of the Russian navy, recently said Russian submarine patrols had risen 50 per cent from 2013.
儘管俄羅斯部分軍事行動源自對敘利亞的介入，但其海軍在其他地區也一直在加大活動力度。俄海軍總司令維克托奇爾科夫上將(Admiral Viktor Chirkov)最近表示，俄潛艇的巡邏活動已比2013年增加了50%。
US officials are particularly alarmed by signs that Russian submarines are monitoring telecommunications cables on the Atlantic seabed, in activity Adm Richardson said was “very concerning”.
有跡象顯示俄潛艇在監聽大西洋海底電信電纜，這令美國官員尤爲警覺。理查森上將表示這類活動“極爲令人關切”。
“It is very hard to reconstitute that type of traffic in any other channel,” he said. “That would be a threat against the other global system, the information system... is linked to prosperity, linked to security.”
他說：“很難將這類通信改到其他渠道。這可能威脅到另一個全球體系，也就是信息體系……這個體系和繁榮有關，和安全有關。”
The Russian activity comes as the US conducts new operations in the South China Sea to counter Chinese activity there — assertive actions at sea and the construction of artificial islands — that many nations believe threatens freedom of navigation in waters that carry 30 per cent of global trade.
就在俄實施這些軍事行動之際，美國在南中國海展開了新的行動，以對抗中國在南中國海的活動，包括在海上的強硬行爲以及人工造島活動。許多國家認爲，中國的這些活動威脅到了南中國海的航行自由。目前，南中國海承載着全球30%的貿易。
Adm Richardson said the Russian and Chinese activity underscored the need for nations to adhere to maritime rules to ensure that global commerce and prosperity were not threatened. While the South China Sea is a main trade route, another 20 per cent of trade travels through the Mediterranean.
理查森上將表示，俄羅斯和中國的活動凸顯出，各國有必要遵守海洋法，以確保全球商業和繁榮不受威脅。儘管南中國海是全球主要的貿易通道，但還有20%的貿易是經由地中海完成的。
The “ambiguous motivations” of China and Russia raised fears about the health of a global system that ensures freedom of navigation and unfettered trade. “It again perturbs that global system,” he said. “The current model is equal access for all... that been threatened?”
中國和俄羅斯“含混不清的動機”，使得人們對這個爲航行自由和貿易自由提供保障的全球體系的健康狀況感到擔憂。“這些活動再次擾亂了全球體系。”理查森上將表示，“當前的模式是所有國家擁有平等的通航權力……這一模式是不是已面臨威脅？”
Adm Richardson said Russian President Vladimir Putin was trying to propel the country’s navy back on to the global stage to “make sure that they are being part of this whole conversation that’s emerging, that they’re seen as... players”, and that the phenomenon was “not a short-term thing”.
理查森上將表示，俄總統弗拉基米爾渠京(Vladimir Putin)正試圖將俄羅斯海軍再次推上全球舞臺，以“確保它們是正在出現的整個對話的一部分，確保它們被……認真對待”，並確保這種現象“不是一時的”。
Russia has maintained strong military investment since the end of the cold war and had recently demonstrated the quality of its navy by firing cruise missiles at targets in Syria from warships in the Caspian Sea. “That is a significant capability, a significant demonstration,” Adm Richardson said.
自冷戰結束以來，俄羅斯一直保持着對軍事的強勁投入。最近，俄曾從位於裏海的軍艦向敘利亞境內目標發射巡航導彈，顯示了其海軍的水平。理查森上將表示：“那是一項令人矚目的能力，一次令人矚目的宣示。”
The Russian naval activity comes as the US also faces the prospect of a rapidly expanding Chinese navy. China protested last week when a US warship sailed near one of its man-made islands in the South China Sea, a move aimed at showing that the US does not recognise Chinese territorial claims.
此外，俄升級海軍活動之際，美國還面臨着中國海軍迅速擴張的可能性。上週，當一艘美國軍艦駛近中國在南中國海的一個人造島嶼時，中國方面表示了抗議。美國的這一舉動，旨在宣示美國不承認中國的領土主張。
Adm Richardson pointed out that Washington did not object when Chinese ships recently passed through US territorial waters around the Aleutian Islands following a joint naval exercise with Russia. The US also says China is jeopardising a global maritime system that helped its economy grow dramatically over the past three decades.
理查森上將指出，中國軍艦最近在和俄羅斯開展海軍聯合演習後，穿越了阿留申羣島周圍的美國領海，當時美國政府並未表示反對。美國還表示，中國正危及全球海洋體系，而正是這一體系幫助中國經濟在過去30年裏實現了高速增長。
“In many ways, they are behaving in full compliance and even advocating for this rule of law. Their contribution to the counter-piracy task force is one [example]. They were very clear about their freedom of navigation operation around the Aleutians,” said Adm Richardson. “It is just in these other areas, in the South China Sea, they seem to be taking a different position.”
理查森上將表示：“從許多方面來說，他們完全遵循、甚至還提倡這種法治。他們對打擊海盜的特遣部隊的貢獻就是一例。他們非常明確地闡明瞭自己在阿留申羣島周圍的航行自由行動。只是在其他地區，在南中國海，他們似乎持不同立場。”
The US was also paying attention to the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea — which Japan controls but China claims as the Diaoyu — where Chinese ships routinely sail inside what Japan says are its territorial waters.
此外，美國還注意到了東中國海的尖閣諸島（Senkaku Islands，中國稱釣魚島及其附屬島嶼；該羣島由日本控制，但中國聲稱對其擁有主權）。在那裏，中國艦艇會定期在被日本人稱爲領海的水域航行。
“It’s something... ’ve just got to continue to pay close attention to,” he said. “While it might not be as tense as it was a couple of years ago... do we want to become complacent and take our eye off that part of the world as well and I don’t think that we are.”
他說：“對此……你必須繼續予以密切關注。儘管那裏的局勢可能不像幾年前那麼緊張……但我們也不想掉以輕心、不再關注那塊地方，而且我不認爲我們對那裏的局勢滿意。”
