美國大統總統簽名向台湾出售軍艦、中国「堅決反対」

A few weeks ago the Asahi News on-line reported the following:

米、台湾に軍艦売却へ　大統領が署名、中国「断固反対」

ワシントン＝奥寺淳、台北＝鵜飼啓

2014年12月20日01時27分

　オバマ米大統領は１８日、台湾に軍艦４隻を売却することを決めた。台湾の国防部は「米台関係が堅実で安定していることを示した」と歓迎したが、台湾統一を悲願とする中国は「台湾問題は中国の核心的な利益。強烈な不満と断固たる反対を表明する」（秦剛・外務省報道局長）と反発した。

　売却するのは、米軍の中古のオリバー・ハザード・ペリー級ミサイルフリゲート艦。４隻はいずれも１９８０年代半ばに就役し、満載排水量が４千トン級。上下両院が台湾などへの売却を定めた「海軍艦船譲渡法案」を可決しており、オバマ氏が１８日に署名した。

　台湾は老朽艦を置き換えるが、すでにペリー級を改良した成功級を保有。今回の売却で台湾の軍事力が大きく向上するわけではないが、大型の武器売却として象徴的な意味を持つ。台湾は２隻の購入を決めており、５５億台湾ドル（約２０８億円）を来年度予算に計上している。国防部によると、残る２隻は必要かどうか今後、検討する。

(試譯文)

On the 18th (December) president Obama of the United States decided to sell four warships to Taiwan. The Taiwanese national defense department welcomed it, saying that "it shows US and Taiwan relation is steady and stable"; in China where the Taiwanese unification was an earnest desire, (Qin Gang the head reporter of Ministry of Foreign Affairs) responded that "Taiwan problem is the core-interest of China and expressed intense dissatisfaction and firm opposition".

  What was sold was the second hand Oliver Hazard Perry class missile frigate of U.S. forces. All 4 ships went into commission in the middle 1980’s, belonging to the 4,000-ton displacement capacity class. Approved by the "Navy ship transfer bill" in which the upper and lower houses agreed to sell to Taiwan, Mr. Obama signed his name on the bill the 18th.

  Although Taiwan was replacing old ships, it had improved the Perry class and kept it as the Success class. While the military power of Taiwan did not improve much by this selling, yet it made a symbolic sense as a large arms sale. Taiwan had decided to purchase two ships and 5,500 million Taiwan dollar (about 20,800 million yen) would be appropriated in the budget of next year. According to the national defense department from now on it would consider whether the remaining two ships were necessary.

I agree that the military power of Taiwan will not improve much by this purchase, yet it has a symbolic meaning in showing the steady and stable commitment of the US towards Taiwan.