UK, Japan harbour dark designs during interatctions

英日“合流”有“温差”

Source
China Military Online
Editor
Huang Panyue
Time
2021-08-10 17:45:28

刘世刚

By Liu Shigang

近来,日本海上自卫队与英国海军互动频频。英国“伊丽莎白女王”号航母将于9月访问日本,英国国防大臣日前又宣布,可能在日本永久派驻两艘江河级巡逻舰。两个昔日的“帝国主义殖民国家”再次“合流”,高调向世界展示联合干预国际事务的倾向,引起国际社会警惕。

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has frequently interacted with the British Navy recently. The British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will visit Japan in September. The British Defense Secretary recently announced that it may permanently station two River class patrol vessels in Japan. The two former "imperialist colonial countries" converge again, showing a tendency to jointly intervene in international affairs in a high-profile manner, which aroused the vigilance of the international community.

日英两国近年来战略互动频繁,防卫合作日渐升温,联合干预地区局势的指向性越来越明显。

Japan and the UK have had frequent strategic interactions in recent years, their defense cooperation has been heating up, and the direction of joint intervention in the regional situation has become more and more obvious.

从日英签署防卫合作备忘录,以及《防卫装备技术转让协定》《情报保护协定》《相互提供物资与劳务协定》,到双方定性为“强有力的战略合作伙伴”关系、“全球安全伙伴”关系、“全球战略伙伴”关系……双方的合作逐渐深入。

From the signing of a memorandum of defense cooperation, Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology Agreement, Agreement on the Security of Information, Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), to the relationship between the two parties as "dynamic strategic partnership", "global security partnership", "global strategic partnership"... the cooperation between the two sides is gradually deepening.

然而,此次英国与日本在印太“合流”,双方意图却显然不同,存在“温差”。这也是日本极力拉拢英国参与其“印太构想”系列举措的一个缩影。

However, even the UK and Japan "converged" in the Indo-Pacific, their intentions are obviously different, and there is a "temperature difference", which is also a microcosm of Japan's efforts to woo Britain to participate in its "Indo-Pacific Concept" series of initiatives.

日本能向英国成功推销“印太构想”,无外乎老调重弹拿所谓“中国威胁”说事。英国也顺势在与日本举行的会议中敲定派出“伊丽莎白女王”号航母打击群在亚太“刷存在感”。Japan's successful promotion of the "Indo-Pacific Concept" to the UK is nothing more than repeating the old tune and using the so-called "China threat." The UK also took advantage of the trend in the meeting with Japan to finalize the dispatch of the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier strike group in the Asia-Pacific to "bring up a sense of existence."

殊不知,日本追随美国拉拢英国“壮胆儿”,英国也打着算盘欲向日本“薅羊毛”。

As everyone knows, Japan followed the US to win over the UK while and the UK also wanted to get the best deal from Japan.

英国相隔半个世纪以后,再次派航母编队远赴亚太地区显示存在,一方面是为了向国际社会“秀肌肉”“赚脸面”,另一方面也是看重日本巨额装备技术订单,寻求“薅日本羊毛”以分担国防费。

The UK once again sent an aircraft carrier fleet to the Asia-Pacific region to show its existence semicentury later. On the one hand, it was to "show its muscles" and "win face" to the international community. On the other hand, the UK values Japan's huge equipment and technology orders and seeks to get the best deal so that Japan's orders can share defense expenses.

当前,日英正在推进新型空空导弹、新一代战斗机辅助系统以及新一代侦察机雷达系统的联合研制和可行性论证。

Currently, Japan and the UK are advancing the joint development and feasibility demonstration of new air-to-air missiles, a new generation of fighter auxiliary systems, and a new generation of reconnaissance aircraft radar systems.

日本也多次背着美国,与英国、法国、瑞典、挪威等欧洲国家展开谈判,试图引进先进武器装备。

Japan has also repeatedly carried out negotiations with the UK, France, Sweden, Norway and other European countries to introduce advanced weapons and equipment without telling the US.

实际上,日英关系跌宕起伏,远没有表面看起来那么紧密。2019年,英国第2艘伊丽莎白女王级航空母舰以二战期间被日本击沉的战列舰“威尔士亲王”号来命名。

As a matter of fact, the ups and downs of Japan-UK relations are not as close as they seem. In 2019, the second Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier was named after the battleship Prince of Wales that was sunk by Japan during the World War II.

今年,英国“伊丽莎白女王”号航母打击群首次全球部署核心目的地选在日本,其隐含意义也是在向日本展示其海军已“再次强大”。

This year, the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier strike group chose Japan as the core destination for its first global deployment, aiming to show Japan that the British navy is "strong again".

长期以来,英国作为美国盟友,参加了美国挑起的多场局部战争,已然是美盟友团队中第一梯队成员。而日本则受和平宪法束缚,无法参加“正在发生战斗”或“伴随战斗行为”地域的后方支援或国际维和行动,只能成为美盟友团队中第二甚至第三梯队成员,担负战场外围支援补给任务。

For a long time, as an ally of the US, the UK has participated in many local wars provoked by the US and has become the first echelon member of the US alliance. Japan is bound by the peace constitution and cannot participate in rear support or international peacekeeping operations in areas where "combat is taking place" or "with combat behaviors". Therefore, Japan can only become a member of the second or even third echelon of the US alliance and be responsible for the peripheral support and supply tasks of the battlefield.

2015年新安保法出台后,日本自认为具备了海外使用武力的条件,遂大胆推进与美国及其一线盟友的军事合作力度,力争早日升格为美盟第一梯队成员。

After the launch of the new Legislation for Peace and Security in 2015, Japan believed that it had the conditions for the use of force overseas. As a result, it boldly promoted military cooperation with the US and its frontline allies, striving to become the first echelon member of the US alliance as soon as possible.

这次日本接受英航母打击群临时入驻本国港口,并准备与驻日美军一道举行联合演练,一方面企图拉近与英国的防卫合作关系,另一方面也是在着手为将来参加多国部队执行作战任务做准备。

This time, Japan accepted the British aircraft carrier strike group to be temporarily stationed in its port and is preparing to conduct joint drills with the US troops stationed in Japan. On the one hand, Japan tries to close the defense cooperation relationship with the UK. On the other hand, it is also preparing for the implementation of combat missions in the multinational forces in the future.

长远来看,英国的入局,也只是被日本当作全球战略野心的一块“垫脚石”。日本2021年版《防卫白皮书》公布的“印太构想”示意图中,把英国和美国同样作为第二梯队成员,俨然认为自己才是在印太的第一梯队。

In the long run, Britain is only regarded as a "steppingstone" for Japan's global strategic ambitions. The "Indo-Pacific Concept" schematic diagram published in the Defense of Japan 2021 included the UK and the US as the second echelon members as if Japan is the first echelon member in the Indo-Pacific.

短期内,日英双方仍将有一段防卫合作“蜜月期”,但在感受“蜜月期”之前,日本不得不经受“伊丽莎白女王”号航母及部分舰艇上船员大批感染新冠病毒的考验。该航母编队后续活动能否顺利实施,仍要打上一个大大的问号。

In the short term, Japan and the UK will still have a "honeymoon period" of defense cooperation. However, before experiencing the "honeymoon period", Japan has to withstand the test of the COVID-19 cases on HMS Queen Elizabeth and other ships. It remains to be seen whether the follow-up activities of the aircraft carrier formation can be implemented smoothly.

(The author is from the PLA Academy of Military Sciences)

 

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