日軍艦被火控雷達照射

Recently the Mainichi News on-line reported the following:

レーダー照射:首相、中国に謝罪要求「国際ルール違反」

毎日新聞　2013年02月08日　21時50分（最終更新　02月08日　23時36分）

安倍晋三首相は８日夜のＢＳフジ番組で、中国艦船が海上自衛隊の護衛艦などに射撃用の火器管制レーダーを照射した問題について「中国はそういうことがあったら認めて謝罪し、再発防止に努めてほしい」と述べ、照射を全面否定した中国に反論した。首相は公明党の山口那津男代表が１月下旬に習近平総書記と会談したことを挙げ、「対話がスタートする中で（照射は）きわめて不可解だ」と批判。日本側と、「捏造（ねつぞう）」と反発する中国との応酬が続いている。

　首相は「中国がこういうことを繰り返すのは国際ルール違反だ。中国自身が国際社会で信用を失っていく」とあらためて批判。「中国がやっているような情報戦に応じるつもりは全くない」としたうえで、目視やレーダーの向きも含め写真などから確認しているとして、日本の正当性を訴えた。一方で「対話の扉を閉じるつもりはなく、首脳レベルも含めた対話は必要だ」と述べ、日中首脳会談の実現を含めて冷静に対応する考えも示した。

　また、外務省の河相周夫事務次官は８日、中国の程永華駐日大使を外務省に呼んで再抗議。河相次官は、火器管制レーダーを照射された護衛艦が受信した電波データを、海自の電子情報支援隊などが解析したと説明した。レーダーの周波数や護衛艦と中国艦との位置関係も詳細に分析したとし、「中国の説明は全く受け入れられない」と遺憾の意を伝えた。

　程大使は「（日本が感知したのは）別のレーダーだ」と改めて否定。会談後、記者団に「日本がセンセーショナルに緊張をあおり立てるやり方は遺憾だ」と主張した。

　中国が否定・反論したことも日本側は半ば織り込み済みだ。中国が周囲の船の位置を知るための艦載レーダーに過ぎないと反論していることにも、防衛省幹部は「射撃用のレーダーとは周波数が違い、見分けるのは容易だ」と自信を示した。政府高官は「知らなかったと言えば『中国軍は勝手にそんなことをする前近代的な軍隊だ』となる。しかし政府の意図だと言えば、国際社会から批判される」と中国側の苦しい立場を推測した。

(試譯文)

About the problem that the China naval fleet radar had targeted at a convoy of the Maritime Self Defense Force etc., on the night of the 8th Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the BS Fuji program expressed that "I want them to admit to it and to apologize for it if China had done such a thing, and want to work towards preventing its recurrence” and he refuted China which had completely denied carrying out the radar-targeting using the firearms control shooting radar. The Prime Minister mentioned that Komei Party President Yamaguchi had already conferred with General Secretary Xi Jinping late in January and criticized that "It (the radar-targeting) is something very mysterious while a dialogue has already started". On the side of Japan, it would continue with its correspondence with China who had said that the problem was a "fabrication".

The Prime Minister repeatedly criticized that "it is an international law violation for China to repeat such an act. China itself loses trust in international society". Also “he does not plan on engaging with the information-warfare that China is now waging”. He stressed that Japan’s justification was from checking photos which included eye-observation and noting the direction of the radar. On the other hand he also said that "there is no plan to close the door for a dialogue and the problem requires a dialogue that would include those at the top level"; and he showed that he was considering responding calmly, including to achieve a Sino-Japanese summit meeting.

Moreover, on the 8^th Kawai the Administrative Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited Cheng Yonghua the Chinese Ambassador in Japan to visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a new protest. Vice-Minister Kawai explained the data of the electric waves which the convoy had received when being targeted by the firearms control radar, together with the analysis done by the electronic information support party of the Maritime Self Defense Force etc. The radar frequency for checking the spatial relationship of the convoy used by the China warships was also analyzed in detail, and he expressed with regret that "Chinese explanation is not acceptable at all."

Ambassador Cheng retorted again that "(what Japan has perceived) is from other radar". In the press gathering after the talk he also said "The way in which Japan has sensationally stirred up tension is regrettable".

On the side of the Japan, taking into consideration that China would deny, had brought forth a counterargument. Regarding China’s retorting in saying that it was merely from the warship radar of China to know the position of the surrounding ships, the Ministry of Defense bureaucrats showed confidence in saying that the frequency “is easy” to recognize and it was unlike the radar for shooting. There was a guessing on the difficult stance of the Chinese government, for them “if they claim they do not know the matter, than it would be an indication that ‘the Chinese army is still a pre-modern army because it could do such a thing freely’; if they say that it is the intention of the government, they would face a difficult position of being criticized by the international society".

I think this radar problem has become a test on the honesty and integrity of a country. The response of China on this matter makes me thinking of CY Leung, the CE of Hong Kong who had once said that his house had no illegal constructions.