日本戰機升空次數創冷戰後最高水平

As territorial tensions flared in East Asia, Japan's air force scrambled jets against Chinese and Russian planes far more often during the year that ended in March than in recent years, pushing the total number of such maneuvers to the highest since the end of the Cold War.

隨着東亞地區因領土爭端引發的緊張局勢頻頻爆發，在截至今年3月的一年中，爲應對中國和俄羅斯飛機，日本戰機的升空次數遠超近幾年，總次數創冷戰結束以來最高水平。

Japan's Self-Defense Forces said Wednesday it scrambled jets against foreign aircraft 810 times during the year ended March 31, breaking the 800-mark for the first time since the year ending March 1989. The latest total was a 43% increase from 567 a year earlier.

日本自衛隊(Self-Defense Forces)週三稱，截至3月31日的一年中，其戰機爲應對外國飛機一共升空810次，較此前一年的567次增加43%，也是自截至1989年3月的一年以來首次突破800次關口。

Bumping up the number was increased activity against Chinese planes, with the two nations playing cat-and-mouse games involving ships and planes as tensions persisted over a group of contested islands in the East China Sea. Sorties against Chinese planes soared to 415, compared with 306 a year earlier, and just 38 in the year ending March 2010.

日本戰機升空的次數大幅增加主要是爲了應對中國飛機活動的增多。中日兩國圍繞東中國海(East China Sea, 中國稱東海)上一組存在主權爭議島嶼的緊張關係持續發酵，兩國艦船和飛機頻頻上演相互追逐的遊戲。截至今年3月底的一年中，日本戰機爲應對中國飛機而升空的次數大幅增至415次，此前一年爲306次，截至2010年3月底的一年中僅38次。

China wasn't the only concern. The Japanese air force scrambled 359 times against Russian planes last year, up from 248 a year earlier.

不過令日本擔憂的並不只有中國。截至今年3月底的一年中，日本戰機爲應對俄羅斯飛機的升空次數達359次，遠高於此前一年的248次。