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2013年07月05日
米温暖化対策 シェールガス革命が追い風に
The Yomiuri Shimbun July 4, 2013
Will shale gas revolution help combat global warming?
米温暖化対策 シェールガス革命が追い風に（7月3日付・読売社説）
U.S. President Barack Obama has announced an action plan to increase efforts to combat global warming.
オバマ米大統領が、地球温暖化対策を強化する行動計画を発表した。
The sweeping plan is aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, while also leading greater international efforts to combat climate change, particularly through cooperation with China and India, both major carbon dioxide emitters.
国内で二酸化炭素（ＣＯ２）排出削減を進めるとともに、中国やインドなどとの協力を含めて国際的な温暖化対策を拡充する内容だ。
The world is witnessing a continuous increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Obama’s plan indicates the United States, the world’s second-worst greenhouse gas polluter after China, plans to seriously tackle global warming. This should significantly help international efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
ＣＯ２などの温室効果ガスの排出量は、世界で増加の一途をたどっている。中国に次ぐ排出大国の米国が温暖化対策に本腰を入れることは、世界全体の排出量削減の観点からも、意義は大きい。
However, Obama will be tested whether he will be able to demonstrate leadership in fighting global warming and what he can actually do to achieve his goal.
オバマ氏の指導力と実行力が問われよう。
U.S. plan affirms target
The latest action plan reconfirms an earlier U.S. target for curtailing domestic greenhouse gas emissions by about 17 percent by the end of 2020, compared with 2005 levels. Measures include a plan to impose new and more rigorous emission regulations on existing and envisaged power plants.
行動計画は、２０２０年までに温室効果ガス排出量を０５年比１７％程度削減する、という米国の中期目標を改めて確認している。
The action program also calls for switching to natural gases, an energy source that generates a smaller amount of carbon dioxide than coal and oil.
国内のＣＯ２排出削減対策として、新規及び既存の発電所に新たに厳しい規制を導入するほか、石炭や石油よりもクリーンな天然ガスへの切り替えを促した。
Obama’s plan incorporates the doubling of such renewable energy resources as hydroelectric and solar power. It also includes a plan to maintain and promote nuclear power generation through, for example, the development of small modular reactors with a generating capacity of less than 300,000 kilowatts per unit.
水力や太陽光発電などの再生可能エネルギー倍増計画や、出力３０万キロ・ワット以下の小型モジュラー炉の開発など原子力発電の維持・推進も盛り込んだ。
The outlook for Obama’s action plan is far from promising. In fact, U.S. electric power companies are already alarmed by the possible impact of his program. They fear that tightening the regulations may force them to close coal-fired power plants, which constitute the mainstay of their electricity business. The action plan is also opposed by Republicans and local governments that could be affected by the planned measures. They are concerned that the program would lead to a loss of many jobs. Many twists and turns are foreseen in a tug-of-war over how carbon dioxide emissions should be regulated at power plants.
前途は容易ではあるまい。早くも電力会社は、厳しい規制で主力の石炭火力発電所が閉鎖に追い込まれかねないと警戒し、関連自治体や共和党も、雇用が奪われると反発を強めている。規制基準作りを巡り紆余(うよ)曲折が予想される。
A factor behind Obama’s decision to announce new anti-global warming measures is his desire to address the strong concerns of Americans about the increase in natural disasters due to abnormal weather in recent years, including violent storms and massive tornadoes. The action plan lays out specific measures to be implemented to enable local communities to deal more effectively with the impact of such disasters.
オバマ氏が大胆な温暖化対策の推進を打ち出した背景の一つに、暴風雨や巨大竜巻など異常気象で災害が増加していることへの国民の強い関心がある。行動計画は、災害に耐性の強い地域作りへ具体策を講じることも明記した。
Another significant reason behind the president’s latest move is the fact that the recent increase in natural gas production due to the ongoing shale gas revolution is aiding his battle to reduce greenhouse gases. The U.S. carbon dioxide reduction goal seems to be increasingly realistic due to that country’s drive to shift from coal to natural gas. This is certain to shore up the U.S. position in global negotiations over reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
シェールガス革命による天然ガス生産の増大が追い風になった点も見過ごせない。石炭から天然ガスへの転換で、ＣＯ２削減目標の達成は現実味を帯びてきた。国際交渉で米国の立場も強まろう。
The post-Kyoto Protocol framework is scheduled to take effect in 2020. The primary task facing participants is to ensure that their battle against global warming functions in a manner in which all major carbon dioxide emitters fulfill their share of responsibility in achieving their goals.
京都議定書後の新たな国際枠組みは２０年発効予定だ。すべての主要排出国が応分の責任を負う仕組みにすることが何より重要だ。
Japan role important
The Obama administration will likely seek to lay down a set of loosely defined rules by which each country will set its own reduction target and strive to curtail its carbon dioxide emissions, according to observers. This approach can be regarded as a persuasive method to get newly emerging nations to join the new framework, as they are opposed to reduction obligations that would be imposed on them.
オバマ政権は、各国が自主的に目標を設定し、削減に努める緩やかなルール作りを目指すと見られる。削減義務を負うことに反発する新興国を引き入れるには、有効な手法と言える。
Japan should play an active role in this respect.
日本も積極的に関与したい。
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government has said it will scrap an unrealistic carbon dioxide reduction target abruptly announced by then Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in 2009. Hatoyama’s plan required this country to achieve a 25 percent reduction from 1990 levels in carbon dioxide emissions by the end of 2020.
安倍政権は、鳩山元首相が０９年に唐突に打ち出した「２０年までに１９９０年比２５％削減」という非現実的な目標の撤回を表明している。
It is essential for the Abe administration to replace the 2009 reduction plan with a practical reduction target that would take the nation’s economic activities into consideration, a task that must be complemented by efforts to gain support from other nations for the prime minister’s initiative.
まずは経済活動に目配りした現実的な目標に改め、国際社会の理解を得ていくことが肝要だ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 3, 2013)
（2013年7月3日01時53分 読売新聞）
Will shale gas revolution help combat global warming?
米温暖化対策 シェールガス革命が追い風に（7月3日付・読売社説）
U.S. President Barack Obama has announced an action plan to increase efforts to combat global warming.
オバマ米大統領が、地球温暖化対策を強化する行動計画を発表した。
The sweeping plan is aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, while also leading greater international efforts to combat climate change, particularly through cooperation with China and India, both major carbon dioxide emitters.
国内で二酸化炭素（ＣＯ２）排出削減を進めるとともに、中国やインドなどとの協力を含めて国際的な温暖化対策を拡充する内容だ。
The world is witnessing a continuous increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Obama’s plan indicates the United States, the world’s second-worst greenhouse gas polluter after China, plans to seriously tackle global warming. This should significantly help international efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
ＣＯ２などの温室効果ガスの排出量は、世界で増加の一途をたどっている。中国に次ぐ排出大国の米国が温暖化対策に本腰を入れることは、世界全体の排出量削減の観点からも、意義は大きい。
However, Obama will be tested whether he will be able to demonstrate leadership in fighting global warming and what he can actually do to achieve his goal.
オバマ氏の指導力と実行力が問われよう。
U.S. plan affirms target
The latest action plan reconfirms an earlier U.S. target for curtailing domestic greenhouse gas emissions by about 17 percent by the end of 2020, compared with 2005 levels. Measures include a plan to impose new and more rigorous emission regulations on existing and envisaged power plants.
行動計画は、２０２０年までに温室効果ガス排出量を０５年比１７％程度削減する、という米国の中期目標を改めて確認している。
The action program also calls for switching to natural gases, an energy source that generates a smaller amount of carbon dioxide than coal and oil.
国内のＣＯ２排出削減対策として、新規及び既存の発電所に新たに厳しい規制を導入するほか、石炭や石油よりもクリーンな天然ガスへの切り替えを促した。
Obama’s plan incorporates the doubling of such renewable energy resources as hydroelectric and solar power. It also includes a plan to maintain and promote nuclear power generation through, for example, the development of small modular reactors with a generating capacity of less than 300,000 kilowatts per unit.
水力や太陽光発電などの再生可能エネルギー倍増計画や、出力３０万キロ・ワット以下の小型モジュラー炉の開発など原子力発電の維持・推進も盛り込んだ。
The outlook for Obama’s action plan is far from promising. In fact, U.S. electric power companies are already alarmed by the possible impact of his program. They fear that tightening the regulations may force them to close coal-fired power plants, which constitute the mainstay of their electricity business. The action plan is also opposed by Republicans and local governments that could be affected by the planned measures. They are concerned that the program would lead to a loss of many jobs. Many twists and turns are foreseen in a tug-of-war over how carbon dioxide emissions should be regulated at power plants.
前途は容易ではあるまい。早くも電力会社は、厳しい規制で主力の石炭火力発電所が閉鎖に追い込まれかねないと警戒し、関連自治体や共和党も、雇用が奪われると反発を強めている。規制基準作りを巡り紆余(うよ)曲折が予想される。
A factor behind Obama’s decision to announce new anti-global warming measures is his desire to address the strong concerns of Americans about the increase in natural disasters due to abnormal weather in recent years, including violent storms and massive tornadoes. The action plan lays out specific measures to be implemented to enable local communities to deal more effectively with the impact of such disasters.
オバマ氏が大胆な温暖化対策の推進を打ち出した背景の一つに、暴風雨や巨大竜巻など異常気象で災害が増加していることへの国民の強い関心がある。行動計画は、災害に耐性の強い地域作りへ具体策を講じることも明記した。
Another significant reason behind the president’s latest move is the fact that the recent increase in natural gas production due to the ongoing shale gas revolution is aiding his battle to reduce greenhouse gases. The U.S. carbon dioxide reduction goal seems to be increasingly realistic due to that country’s drive to shift from coal to natural gas. This is certain to shore up the U.S. position in global negotiations over reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
シェールガス革命による天然ガス生産の増大が追い風になった点も見過ごせない。石炭から天然ガスへの転換で、ＣＯ２削減目標の達成は現実味を帯びてきた。国際交渉で米国の立場も強まろう。
The post-Kyoto Protocol framework is scheduled to take effect in 2020. The primary task facing participants is to ensure that their battle against global warming functions in a manner in which all major carbon dioxide emitters fulfill their share of responsibility in achieving their goals.
京都議定書後の新たな国際枠組みは２０年発効予定だ。すべての主要排出国が応分の責任を負う仕組みにすることが何より重要だ。
Japan role important
The Obama administration will likely seek to lay down a set of loosely defined rules by which each country will set its own reduction target and strive to curtail its carbon dioxide emissions, according to observers. This approach can be regarded as a persuasive method to get newly emerging nations to join the new framework, as they are opposed to reduction obligations that would be imposed on them.
オバマ政権は、各国が自主的に目標を設定し、削減に努める緩やかなルール作りを目指すと見られる。削減義務を負うことに反発する新興国を引き入れるには、有効な手法と言える。
Japan should play an active role in this respect.
日本も積極的に関与したい。
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government has said it will scrap an unrealistic carbon dioxide reduction target abruptly announced by then Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in 2009. Hatoyama’s plan required this country to achieve a 25 percent reduction from 1990 levels in carbon dioxide emissions by the end of 2020.
安倍政権は、鳩山元首相が０９年に唐突に打ち出した「２０年までに１９９０年比２５％削減」という非現実的な目標の撤回を表明している。
It is essential for the Abe administration to replace the 2009 reduction plan with a practical reduction target that would take the nation’s economic activities into consideration, a task that must be complemented by efforts to gain support from other nations for the prime minister’s initiative.
まずは経済活動に目配りした現実的な目標に改め、国際社会の理解を得ていくことが肝要だ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 3, 2013)
（2013年7月3日01時53分 読売新聞）
2013年07月04日
日韓外相会談 関係再構築へ双方が歩み寄れ
The Yomiuri Shimbun July 3, 2013
Japan, S. Korea should compromise to reconstruct vital relationship
日韓外相会談 関係再構築へ双方が歩み寄れ（7月2日付・読売社説）
At a time when the situation in East Asia has become increasingly unstable, cooperation between Japan and South Korea is becoming even more important. Both sides should step closer to each other to put bilateral relations back on a more normal footing.
東アジア情勢が不安定化する中、日韓協力は一段と重要になっている。両国関係の正常化へ、双方が歩み寄るべきだ。
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung Se recently held talks in Brunei and agreed to stably develop a “future-oriented” bilateral relationship.
岸田外相と韓国の尹炳世外交相がブルネイで会談し、「未来志向の日韓関係」を安定的に発展させる方針で一致した。
These were the first such talks between Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers in about nine months. It was extraordinary that the neighoring nations had not held any summit or foreign ministerial meetings since the administration of South Korean President Park Geun Hye was launched in February.
日韓外相会談の開催は約９か月ぶりだ。２月の朴政権発足後、隣国間で首脳・外相会談が一度もなかったのは異常な事態だった。
There are many issues that Japan and South Korea should jointly address, such as North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programs and China’s rise in the military and economic spheres. The stalemate over economic issues, as exemplified by the prolonged suspension of talks for a bilateral free trade agreement, also cannot be overlooked.
北朝鮮の核・ミサイル問題や中国の軍事、経済両面での台頭など、日韓が連携して対処すべき課題は多い。自由貿易協定（ＦＴＡ）交渉中断の長期化など、経済分野の停滞も看過できない。
China playing hardball
Meanwhile, the United States has been indirectly trying to improve Japan-South Korea ties apparently because it believes the deterioration in the bilateral relationship would undermine peace and prosperity in East Asia.
米国が日韓関係の改善を側面支援するのも、両国の関係悪化は東アジアの平和と繁栄の障害だとの問題意識があるためだろう。
China has reportedly stated that it will only hold a Japan-China summit meeting on the condition that Tokyo acknowledges a territorial dispute exists over the Senkaku Islands. Once again, a meeting between the foreign ministers of Japan and China was not held this time. Given the possibility that high-ranking officials of Tokyo and Beijing cannot hold talks for an extended period, the necessity of rebuilding Japan-South Korea relations takes on even greater importance.
中国は、尖閣諸島の領土問題の存在を認めることを日中首脳会談の条件にしているとされる。今回も外相会談は見送られた。日中高官が会談できない状態が長く続く事態も想定すれば、日韓関係を再構築する必要性は一段と高い。
Japan and South Korea have been trading jabs over territorial and historical perception issues involving the Takeshima islands and so-called wartime comfort women. The South Korean foreign minister told his Japanese counterpart that if Japan “fails to carefully deal with the history issue, it will hurt the soul of the [Korean] people.”
日韓間には、竹島、いわゆる従軍慰安婦問題など領土や歴史認識をめぐる対立がある。尹外相は、歴史認識の重要性を強調し、「歴史問題を細心に扱えない場合、民族の魂を傷つける」と述べた。
But we believe that an intrinsic role of diplomacy in this context is to ensure both nations have substantive cooperation over North Korea and other issues while keeping their differences to the absolute minimum.
だが、両国が意見の相違を最小限に抑えつつ、北朝鮮問題などで実質的に協力することこそが、外交本来の役割のはずである。
Lee started the chill
The current chilly state of relations between Japan and South Korea was originally caused by a visit by former South Korean President Lee Myung Bak to the Takeshima islands and his demand for “an apology” from the Emperor last summer.
そもそも現在の日韓関係の悪化は、昨年夏の李明博前大統領の竹島訪問と天皇陛下「謝罪」要求発言が発端となっている。
South Korea should resist the temptation to bring up issues regarding differences over historical perception with Japan at such occasions as summit talks with U.S. and Chinese leaders. Japan, for its part, should give some consideration to the impact of visits by Cabinet ministers to Yasukuni Shrine. It is essential that both sides tenaciously engage in dialogue and make efforts in areas in which they disagree and search for common ground.
韓国は、米中両国との首脳会談などで日本との歴史認識の問題を持ち出すのは自制する。日本も、閣僚の靖国神社参拝で一定の配慮を行う。双方が、対立する分野でも粘り強く対話と努力を重ね、接点を探ることが欠かせない。
We urge both nations to make the latest Japan-South Korea foreign ministerial meeting a stepping stone that can expedite coordinations to realize a bilateral summit meeting later this year.
今回の日韓外相会談を足がかりに、今年後半には、首脳会談が実現するよう調整を急ぎたい。
At a trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Japan, the United States and South Korea, which was held prior to the Kishida-Yun talks, the three top diplomats confirmed they would not accept the possession of nuclear weapons by North Korea and would urge it to take concrete actions toward denuclearization.
日韓外相会談に先立つ日米韓外相会談では、北朝鮮の核保有を容認せず、非核化への「具体的な行動」を求める方針を確認した。
North Korea recently has shown a greater willingness to hold dialogues with other nations that have a stake in the nuclear issue. However, more important than resuming six-nation talks and other channels of dialogue is having North Korea take tangible steps to abandon its nuclear weapons.
北朝鮮は最近、関係国との対話に前向きの姿勢を示している。しかし、肝心なのは、６か国協議などの対話の再開ではなく、核放棄を具体化することである。
Japan, the United States and South Korea must hold a series of consultations and maintain their current solidarity to keep pressuring North Korea through Chinese channels to make Pyongyang take substantive actions toward its denuclearization.
非核化に向けて実質的な行動を取るよう、中国を通じて北朝鮮に圧力をかけ続けるためにも、日米韓が協議を重ね、現在の結束を維持しなければならない。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 2, 2013)
（2013年7月2日01時26分 読売新聞）
Japan, S. Korea should compromise to reconstruct vital relationship
日韓外相会談 関係再構築へ双方が歩み寄れ（7月2日付・読売社説）
At a time when the situation in East Asia has become increasingly unstable, cooperation between Japan and South Korea is becoming even more important. Both sides should step closer to each other to put bilateral relations back on a more normal footing.
東アジア情勢が不安定化する中、日韓協力は一段と重要になっている。両国関係の正常化へ、双方が歩み寄るべきだ。
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung Se recently held talks in Brunei and agreed to stably develop a “future-oriented” bilateral relationship.
岸田外相と韓国の尹炳世外交相がブルネイで会談し、「未来志向の日韓関係」を安定的に発展させる方針で一致した。
These were the first such talks between Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers in about nine months. It was extraordinary that the neighoring nations had not held any summit or foreign ministerial meetings since the administration of South Korean President Park Geun Hye was launched in February.
日韓外相会談の開催は約９か月ぶりだ。２月の朴政権発足後、隣国間で首脳・外相会談が一度もなかったのは異常な事態だった。
There are many issues that Japan and South Korea should jointly address, such as North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programs and China’s rise in the military and economic spheres. The stalemate over economic issues, as exemplified by the prolonged suspension of talks for a bilateral free trade agreement, also cannot be overlooked.
北朝鮮の核・ミサイル問題や中国の軍事、経済両面での台頭など、日韓が連携して対処すべき課題は多い。自由貿易協定（ＦＴＡ）交渉中断の長期化など、経済分野の停滞も看過できない。
China playing hardball
Meanwhile, the United States has been indirectly trying to improve Japan-South Korea ties apparently because it believes the deterioration in the bilateral relationship would undermine peace and prosperity in East Asia.
米国が日韓関係の改善を側面支援するのも、両国の関係悪化は東アジアの平和と繁栄の障害だとの問題意識があるためだろう。
China has reportedly stated that it will only hold a Japan-China summit meeting on the condition that Tokyo acknowledges a territorial dispute exists over the Senkaku Islands. Once again, a meeting between the foreign ministers of Japan and China was not held this time. Given the possibility that high-ranking officials of Tokyo and Beijing cannot hold talks for an extended period, the necessity of rebuilding Japan-South Korea relations takes on even greater importance.
中国は、尖閣諸島の領土問題の存在を認めることを日中首脳会談の条件にしているとされる。今回も外相会談は見送られた。日中高官が会談できない状態が長く続く事態も想定すれば、日韓関係を再構築する必要性は一段と高い。
Japan and South Korea have been trading jabs over territorial and historical perception issues involving the Takeshima islands and so-called wartime comfort women. The South Korean foreign minister told his Japanese counterpart that if Japan “fails to carefully deal with the history issue, it will hurt the soul of the [Korean] people.”
日韓間には、竹島、いわゆる従軍慰安婦問題など領土や歴史認識をめぐる対立がある。尹外相は、歴史認識の重要性を強調し、「歴史問題を細心に扱えない場合、民族の魂を傷つける」と述べた。
But we believe that an intrinsic role of diplomacy in this context is to ensure both nations have substantive cooperation over North Korea and other issues while keeping their differences to the absolute minimum.
だが、両国が意見の相違を最小限に抑えつつ、北朝鮮問題などで実質的に協力することこそが、外交本来の役割のはずである。
Lee started the chill
The current chilly state of relations between Japan and South Korea was originally caused by a visit by former South Korean President Lee Myung Bak to the Takeshima islands and his demand for “an apology” from the Emperor last summer.
そもそも現在の日韓関係の悪化は、昨年夏の李明博前大統領の竹島訪問と天皇陛下「謝罪」要求発言が発端となっている。
South Korea should resist the temptation to bring up issues regarding differences over historical perception with Japan at such occasions as summit talks with U.S. and Chinese leaders. Japan, for its part, should give some consideration to the impact of visits by Cabinet ministers to Yasukuni Shrine. It is essential that both sides tenaciously engage in dialogue and make efforts in areas in which they disagree and search for common ground.
韓国は、米中両国との首脳会談などで日本との歴史認識の問題を持ち出すのは自制する。日本も、閣僚の靖国神社参拝で一定の配慮を行う。双方が、対立する分野でも粘り強く対話と努力を重ね、接点を探ることが欠かせない。
We urge both nations to make the latest Japan-South Korea foreign ministerial meeting a stepping stone that can expedite coordinations to realize a bilateral summit meeting later this year.
今回の日韓外相会談を足がかりに、今年後半には、首脳会談が実現するよう調整を急ぎたい。
At a trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Japan, the United States and South Korea, which was held prior to the Kishida-Yun talks, the three top diplomats confirmed they would not accept the possession of nuclear weapons by North Korea and would urge it to take concrete actions toward denuclearization.
日韓外相会談に先立つ日米韓外相会談では、北朝鮮の核保有を容認せず、非核化への「具体的な行動」を求める方針を確認した。
North Korea recently has shown a greater willingness to hold dialogues with other nations that have a stake in the nuclear issue. However, more important than resuming six-nation talks and other channels of dialogue is having North Korea take tangible steps to abandon its nuclear weapons.
北朝鮮は最近、関係国との対話に前向きの姿勢を示している。しかし、肝心なのは、６か国協議などの対話の再開ではなく、核放棄を具体化することである。
Japan, the United States and South Korea must hold a series of consultations and maintain their current solidarity to keep pressuring North Korea through Chinese channels to make Pyongyang take substantive actions toward its denuclearization.
非核化に向けて実質的な行動を取るよう、中国を通じて北朝鮮に圧力をかけ続けるためにも、日米韓が協議を重ね、現在の結束を維持しなければならない。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 2, 2013)
（2013年7月2日01時26分 読売新聞）
2013年07月03日
中国金融リスク 「影の銀行」を野放しにするな
The Yomiuri Shimbun July 2, 2013
Chinese authorities must control nation’s shadow banking sector
中国金融リスク 「影の銀行」を野放しにするな（7月1日付・読売社説）
The volume of transactions in China’s shadow banking sector, in which financial transactions are handled outside the traditional commercial banks, is growing fast. The potential ill effects of this explosive supply of opaque money in the market are immense. We must remain on the lookout for possible disarray in the Chinese economy.
中国で銀行を介さない金融取引の「シャドーバンキング」（影の銀行）が急拡大している。
不透明なマネー膨張の弊害は大きい。中国経済の混乱に要警戒だ。
The Shanghai Composite Index plunged last week, falling below the 2,000 benchmark for the first time in about half a year. On June 24, it recorded the steepest single-day drop in four years.
上海総合株価指数が先週、急落した。約半年ぶりに２０００の大台を割り込み、２４日は４年ぶりの大幅な下落率だった。
The decline was triggered when the short-term interbank offered rate suddenly spiked to an all-time high, causing concerns over the worsening cash flow of banks and prompting the sell-off of stocks.
きっかけは、中国の銀行同士が資金を融通し合う際の短期金利が一時、過去最高水準に急騰したことだ。銀行の資金繰りの悪化が懸念され、株が売られた。
Despite the decline, the People’s Bank of China, the country’s equivalent of a central bank, did not expand its injection of cash into the market, an unusual case of not helping to lower the interbank offered rate.
にもかかわらず、中央銀行に相当する中国人民銀行が、市場への資金供給を拡大せず、金利低下を促さなかったのは異例だ。
Bubbles forming
For the time being, the bank will apparently allow some increase in the rate, an attempt to apply de facto monetary tightening.
当面は、一定の金利上昇を容認し、事実上の金融引き締めを図ろうとしているのだろう。
Behind the bank’s reaction is the spread of various forms of shadow banking, causing economic bubbles in some sectors.
背景に、シャドーバンキングが蔓延(まんえん)し、一部でバブル現象が起きている事情がある。
For instance, investment firms affiliated with municipal governments have been expanding their real estate development and public works projects by using a massive amount of funds borrowed at high interest rates outside the traditional banking institutions.
例えば、地方政府系の投資会社は銀行を介さずに高金利で借りた巨額の資金を使って、不動産開発や公共事業を拡大している。
Many of those municipal governments are burdened with huge amounts of debt. Their inability to repay their debts could spark repercussions in the management of businesses that have extended loans to them.
多額の債務を抱える地方政府は多い。借入金の返済が滞れば、資金の貸し手である企業などの経営危機に飛び火しかねない。
It is also problematic that loans extended to such entities as local governments are refinanced by bundling them and repackaging them as “small-lot wealth management products,” by offering a much higher rate of return than bank deposits.These products have been massively sold to private business firms and individuals by nonbank institutions. In such cases, there is a risk of a loss of principle.
地方政府向けなどの貸出債権を小口化した「理財商品」と呼ばれる高利回りの財テク商品が、ノンバンクなどから企業や個人に大量販売されていることも問題だ。売り手が償還資金を手当てできず、元本割れするリスクがある。
The current situation resembles the so-called subprime loan crisis that occurred in the United States, sending the world economy into disarray.
かつて世界経済を混乱させた米国のサブプライムローン問題を彷彿(ほうふつ)とさせる状況と言えよう。
The size of the shadow banking sector is estimated at 30 trillion yuan (about 480 trillion yen). But the real scale of off-balance sheet financial transactions of the sector is hardly known. Even the Chinese authorities may not be able to grasp the reality.
シャドーバンキングの規模は総額３０兆元（約４８０兆円）に上るとの推計があるが、取引の実態は見えない。中国当局ですら、正確には把握できていないだろう。
A senior official at the People’s Bank of China said, “Imps must be punished,” suggesting the shadow banking sectors must be dealt with strictly. We can understand the authorities’ policy of curbing excessive growth of the money supply and accelerating moves to stamp out the economic bubble.
人民銀行幹部は、「悪い子供は罰するべきだ」と述べ、厳しく対処する姿勢を示した。マネーの膨張を食い止め、バブル退治を急ごうとする方針は理解できる。
Slowdown continues
If the shadow banking sectors are left uncontrolled, the bubble will eventually burst, raising fears of major havoc triggered by China spreading the world over.
シャドーバンキングを野放しにすれば、膨れたバブルがいずれ崩壊し、世界に波及する「中国発の大混乱」が起きる恐れもある。
Meanwhile, the country’s real economic growth has fallen below 8 percent, and its economic slowdown continues. But it would be a mistake for the authorities to cause the country’s economy to further lose momentum by too rapidly curbing the shadow banking system.
ただ、中国の実質経済成長率は８％を割り、景気減速が続く。当局の急激な締め付けで、景気を失速させては本末転倒だ。
It is indeed a difficult situation. The Chinese authorities must be very careful in steering the economy.
難しい局面だが、中国当局の細心の舵(かじ)取りが求められる。
It would also be serious if the Japanese economic recovery were stalled by such factors as a decline in its exports to China. This is not someone else’s problem. We need to be watchful for any abnormality in China’s economy.
日本も中国向け輸出減少などで景気回復がもたつく事態となれば大変だ。対岸の火事ではない。中国経済の変調に注意したい。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 1, 2013)
（2013年7月1日01時35分 読売新聞）
Chinese authorities must control nation’s shadow banking sector
中国金融リスク 「影の銀行」を野放しにするな（7月1日付・読売社説）
The volume of transactions in China’s shadow banking sector, in which financial transactions are handled outside the traditional commercial banks, is growing fast. The potential ill effects of this explosive supply of opaque money in the market are immense. We must remain on the lookout for possible disarray in the Chinese economy.
中国で銀行を介さない金融取引の「シャドーバンキング」（影の銀行）が急拡大している。
不透明なマネー膨張の弊害は大きい。中国経済の混乱に要警戒だ。
The Shanghai Composite Index plunged last week, falling below the 2,000 benchmark for the first time in about half a year. On June 24, it recorded the steepest single-day drop in four years.
上海総合株価指数が先週、急落した。約半年ぶりに２０００の大台を割り込み、２４日は４年ぶりの大幅な下落率だった。
The decline was triggered when the short-term interbank offered rate suddenly spiked to an all-time high, causing concerns over the worsening cash flow of banks and prompting the sell-off of stocks.
きっかけは、中国の銀行同士が資金を融通し合う際の短期金利が一時、過去最高水準に急騰したことだ。銀行の資金繰りの悪化が懸念され、株が売られた。
Despite the decline, the People’s Bank of China, the country’s equivalent of a central bank, did not expand its injection of cash into the market, an unusual case of not helping to lower the interbank offered rate.
にもかかわらず、中央銀行に相当する中国人民銀行が、市場への資金供給を拡大せず、金利低下を促さなかったのは異例だ。
Bubbles forming
For the time being, the bank will apparently allow some increase in the rate, an attempt to apply de facto monetary tightening.
当面は、一定の金利上昇を容認し、事実上の金融引き締めを図ろうとしているのだろう。
Behind the bank’s reaction is the spread of various forms of shadow banking, causing economic bubbles in some sectors.
背景に、シャドーバンキングが蔓延(まんえん)し、一部でバブル現象が起きている事情がある。
For instance, investment firms affiliated with municipal governments have been expanding their real estate development and public works projects by using a massive amount of funds borrowed at high interest rates outside the traditional banking institutions.
例えば、地方政府系の投資会社は銀行を介さずに高金利で借りた巨額の資金を使って、不動産開発や公共事業を拡大している。
Many of those municipal governments are burdened with huge amounts of debt. Their inability to repay their debts could spark repercussions in the management of businesses that have extended loans to them.
多額の債務を抱える地方政府は多い。借入金の返済が滞れば、資金の貸し手である企業などの経営危機に飛び火しかねない。
It is also problematic that loans extended to such entities as local governments are refinanced by bundling them and repackaging them as “small-lot wealth management products,” by offering a much higher rate of return than bank deposits.These products have been massively sold to private business firms and individuals by nonbank institutions. In such cases, there is a risk of a loss of principle.
地方政府向けなどの貸出債権を小口化した「理財商品」と呼ばれる高利回りの財テク商品が、ノンバンクなどから企業や個人に大量販売されていることも問題だ。売り手が償還資金を手当てできず、元本割れするリスクがある。
The current situation resembles the so-called subprime loan crisis that occurred in the United States, sending the world economy into disarray.
かつて世界経済を混乱させた米国のサブプライムローン問題を彷彿(ほうふつ)とさせる状況と言えよう。
The size of the shadow banking sector is estimated at 30 trillion yuan (about 480 trillion yen). But the real scale of off-balance sheet financial transactions of the sector is hardly known. Even the Chinese authorities may not be able to grasp the reality.
シャドーバンキングの規模は総額３０兆元（約４８０兆円）に上るとの推計があるが、取引の実態は見えない。中国当局ですら、正確には把握できていないだろう。
A senior official at the People’s Bank of China said, “Imps must be punished,” suggesting the shadow banking sectors must be dealt with strictly. We can understand the authorities’ policy of curbing excessive growth of the money supply and accelerating moves to stamp out the economic bubble.
人民銀行幹部は、「悪い子供は罰するべきだ」と述べ、厳しく対処する姿勢を示した。マネーの膨張を食い止め、バブル退治を急ごうとする方針は理解できる。
Slowdown continues
If the shadow banking sectors are left uncontrolled, the bubble will eventually burst, raising fears of major havoc triggered by China spreading the world over.
シャドーバンキングを野放しにすれば、膨れたバブルがいずれ崩壊し、世界に波及する「中国発の大混乱」が起きる恐れもある。
Meanwhile, the country’s real economic growth has fallen below 8 percent, and its economic slowdown continues. But it would be a mistake for the authorities to cause the country’s economy to further lose momentum by too rapidly curbing the shadow banking system.
ただ、中国の実質経済成長率は８％を割り、景気減速が続く。当局の急激な締め付けで、景気を失速させては本末転倒だ。
It is indeed a difficult situation. The Chinese authorities must be very careful in steering the economy.
難しい局面だが、中国当局の細心の舵(かじ)取りが求められる。
It would also be serious if the Japanese economic recovery were stalled by such factors as a decline in its exports to China. This is not someone else’s problem. We need to be watchful for any abnormality in China’s economy.
日本も中国向け輸出減少などで景気回復がもたつく事態となれば大変だ。対岸の火事ではない。中国経済の変調に注意したい。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 1, 2013)
（2013年7月1日01時35分 読売新聞）
2013年07月02日
幹事長討論会 安易な「原発ゼロ」は無責任だ
The Yomiuri Shimbun July 1, 2013
Simply calling for end of nuclear power is irresponsible
幹事長討論会 安易な「原発ゼロ」は無責任だ（6月30日付・読売社説）
Full-fledged debates for the House of Councillors election have kicked off before its official campaign period starts on July 4.
参院選は、７月４日の公示を前に本格的な論戦がスタートした。
In Osaka, the Kansai Press Club hosted a meeting on politics with the secretaries general and their equivalents of nine ruling and opposition parties.
大阪では２９日、関西プレスクラブの主催で、９政党の幹事長クラスによる政治討論会が開かれた。
At the meeting, there were striking divergences in opinions on nuclear power plants. Asked if they aim to end the use of nuclear power generation, every attending party except the ruling Liberal Democratic Party replied yes.
目を引いたのは、原子力発電所政策の違いだ。「原発ゼロを目指すか」との質問に対し、自民党以外はすべて賛成した。
To reduce the nation's use of nuclear power to zero, the proportion of electricity generated by alternative sources such as thermal power generation and renewable energy sources such as solar power must be increased drastically. This will require increased imports of fuel for thermal power plants, which will inevitably hollow out domestic industries due to higher production costs.
原発をゼロにするには、代替の火力発電や太陽光など再生可能エネルギーの割合を大幅に増やす必要がある。火力発電の燃料輸入が増大し、生産コスト上昇による産業空洞化も避けられまい。
There also are concerns about the increased carbon dioxide emissions produced by thermal power plants. Japan will be tested on how to overcome global issues, including nuclear nonproliferation, if it chooses the zero nuclear power generation option.
火力発電による二酸化炭素（ＣＯ２）排出量の増大も懸念される。核不拡散など、世界的な課題をどう克服するかも問われよう。
Balance of sources important
Referring to those issues, LDP Secretary General Shigeru Ishiba said at the meeting, “A responsible political party must not consider reducing the nation’s dependence on nuclear power generation without thinking about the balance of its power sources.” We think his view is quite reasonable.
自民党の石破幹事長は、こうした課題に言及し、「バランスを考えたうえで、原発依存度を減らすことを考えなければ、責任ある政治とは言えない」と指摘した。妥当な見解である。
The LDP stipulated in its election pledges that the state should take responsibility for trying to obtain the consent of local governments hosting nuclear power plants, which have been checked and judged safe, so they can be reactivated.
自民党の公約は、「安全と判断された原発の再稼働については、国が責任を持って地元自治体の理解が得られるよう努力する」としている。
We applaud the LDP on this point, but the party also should clarify the prospects for its medium- to long-term nuclear policies.
この点は評価できるが、中長期的な原発政策についても見通しを明らかにすべきだ。
Details on specific steps to deal with nuclear fuel recycling and nuclear waste disposal also need to be discussed.
核燃料サイクルや核廃棄物処理への取り組みに対して、具体的な方策を詰める必要がある。
At the meeting, no party supporting the abolition of nuclear power generation gave a detailed and convincing explanation on the denuclearization process. How can Japan, a nation with few natural resources, end its use of nuclear power generation? Parties supporting zero nuclear power generation must answer this question properly.
「原発ゼロ」を掲げるどの党からも、その道筋について具体的かつ説得力のある説明はなかった。資源の乏しい日本で「原発ゼロ」をどう実現するのか。疑問にきちんと答えてもらいたい。
Exports of nuclear plants
Goshi Hosono, secretary general of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, criticized efforts led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to promote exports of Japanese nuclear reactors to other countries. “It makes me feel uncomfortable,” Hosono said.
民主党の細野幹事長は首相が率先して原発輸出を推進することに「違和感がある」と批判した。
However, exports of infrastructure, including nuclear reactors, are a pillar of the government’s growth strategy and require partnership between the government and private sectors. What does the DPJ think about the high expectations other nations have for Japanese technology?
だが、原発などインフラ輸出は成長戦略の柱であり、官民の連携が重要だ。国際的にも日本の技術に対する期待が高いことを民主党はどう考えるのか。
In Tokyo, party leaders held a meeting Friday to discuss issues related to the upper house election.
参院選をテーマに２８日、東京では党首討論会が開かれた。
In their discussions, Abe’s remarks on relations between Japan and China, which have been at loggerheads over the Senkaku Islands, attracted considerable attention. “The Chinese side told us it would not agree to have a bilateral summit meeting unless Tokyo accepts a certain condition,” the prime minister revealed.
安倍首相が、尖閣諸島を巡って対立が続く中国との関係について、「中国側は、ある一定の条件をのまなければ首脳会談をしないと言ってきている」と明らかにしたことが、注目された。
Of course, there is no need to hold a summit meeting with Beijing if it comes at the expense of Japan’s national interest. However, it is also true that both Japan and China will lose out if they do not improve bilateral ties.
国益を損なってまでも首脳会談を実現する必要がないのは当然である。ただ、関係改善できないことは、日中ともにマイナスだ。
We expect all political parties to also have constructive discussions on diplomatic and national security strategies, and on measures to handle territorial issues.
外交・安全保障戦略や領土問題の対処についても、各党の建設的な議論を望みたい。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 30, 2013)
（2013年6月30日01時29分 読売新聞）
Simply calling for end of nuclear power is irresponsible
幹事長討論会 安易な「原発ゼロ」は無責任だ（6月30日付・読売社説）
Full-fledged debates for the House of Councillors election have kicked off before its official campaign period starts on July 4.
参院選は、７月４日の公示を前に本格的な論戦がスタートした。
In Osaka, the Kansai Press Club hosted a meeting on politics with the secretaries general and their equivalents of nine ruling and opposition parties.
大阪では２９日、関西プレスクラブの主催で、９政党の幹事長クラスによる政治討論会が開かれた。
At the meeting, there were striking divergences in opinions on nuclear power plants. Asked if they aim to end the use of nuclear power generation, every attending party except the ruling Liberal Democratic Party replied yes.
目を引いたのは、原子力発電所政策の違いだ。「原発ゼロを目指すか」との質問に対し、自民党以外はすべて賛成した。
To reduce the nation's use of nuclear power to zero, the proportion of electricity generated by alternative sources such as thermal power generation and renewable energy sources such as solar power must be increased drastically. This will require increased imports of fuel for thermal power plants, which will inevitably hollow out domestic industries due to higher production costs.
原発をゼロにするには、代替の火力発電や太陽光など再生可能エネルギーの割合を大幅に増やす必要がある。火力発電の燃料輸入が増大し、生産コスト上昇による産業空洞化も避けられまい。
There also are concerns about the increased carbon dioxide emissions produced by thermal power plants. Japan will be tested on how to overcome global issues, including nuclear nonproliferation, if it chooses the zero nuclear power generation option.
火力発電による二酸化炭素（ＣＯ２）排出量の増大も懸念される。核不拡散など、世界的な課題をどう克服するかも問われよう。
Balance of sources important
Referring to those issues, LDP Secretary General Shigeru Ishiba said at the meeting, “A responsible political party must not consider reducing the nation’s dependence on nuclear power generation without thinking about the balance of its power sources.” We think his view is quite reasonable.
自民党の石破幹事長は、こうした課題に言及し、「バランスを考えたうえで、原発依存度を減らすことを考えなければ、責任ある政治とは言えない」と指摘した。妥当な見解である。
The LDP stipulated in its election pledges that the state should take responsibility for trying to obtain the consent of local governments hosting nuclear power plants, which have been checked and judged safe, so they can be reactivated.
自民党の公約は、「安全と判断された原発の再稼働については、国が責任を持って地元自治体の理解が得られるよう努力する」としている。
We applaud the LDP on this point, but the party also should clarify the prospects for its medium- to long-term nuclear policies.
この点は評価できるが、中長期的な原発政策についても見通しを明らかにすべきだ。
Details on specific steps to deal with nuclear fuel recycling and nuclear waste disposal also need to be discussed.
核燃料サイクルや核廃棄物処理への取り組みに対して、具体的な方策を詰める必要がある。
At the meeting, no party supporting the abolition of nuclear power generation gave a detailed and convincing explanation on the denuclearization process. How can Japan, a nation with few natural resources, end its use of nuclear power generation? Parties supporting zero nuclear power generation must answer this question properly.
「原発ゼロ」を掲げるどの党からも、その道筋について具体的かつ説得力のある説明はなかった。資源の乏しい日本で「原発ゼロ」をどう実現するのか。疑問にきちんと答えてもらいたい。
Exports of nuclear plants
Goshi Hosono, secretary general of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, criticized efforts led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to promote exports of Japanese nuclear reactors to other countries. “It makes me feel uncomfortable,” Hosono said.
民主党の細野幹事長は首相が率先して原発輸出を推進することに「違和感がある」と批判した。
However, exports of infrastructure, including nuclear reactors, are a pillar of the government’s growth strategy and require partnership between the government and private sectors. What does the DPJ think about the high expectations other nations have for Japanese technology?
だが、原発などインフラ輸出は成長戦略の柱であり、官民の連携が重要だ。国際的にも日本の技術に対する期待が高いことを民主党はどう考えるのか。
In Tokyo, party leaders held a meeting Friday to discuss issues related to the upper house election.
参院選をテーマに２８日、東京では党首討論会が開かれた。
In their discussions, Abe’s remarks on relations between Japan and China, which have been at loggerheads over the Senkaku Islands, attracted considerable attention. “The Chinese side told us it would not agree to have a bilateral summit meeting unless Tokyo accepts a certain condition,” the prime minister revealed.
安倍首相が、尖閣諸島を巡って対立が続く中国との関係について、「中国側は、ある一定の条件をのまなければ首脳会談をしないと言ってきている」と明らかにしたことが、注目された。
Of course, there is no need to hold a summit meeting with Beijing if it comes at the expense of Japan’s national interest. However, it is also true that both Japan and China will lose out if they do not improve bilateral ties.
国益を損なってまでも首脳会談を実現する必要がないのは当然である。ただ、関係改善できないことは、日中ともにマイナスだ。
We expect all political parties to also have constructive discussions on diplomatic and national security strategies, and on measures to handle territorial issues.
外交・安全保障戦略や領土問題の対処についても、各党の建設的な議論を望みたい。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 30, 2013)
（2013年6月30日01時29分 読売新聞）
2013年07月01日
参院選へ 「ねじれ」に終止符打てるか
The Yomiuri Shimbun June 30, 2013
Can Abe put an end to divided Diet in coming upper house poll?
参院選へ 「ねじれ」に終止符打てるか（6月29日付・読売社説）
◆デフレ脱却へ具体策を競え◆
How will voters judge the performance of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration over the past six months?
安倍政権半年の実績を有権者は、どう審判するだろうか。
The government has formally decided to hold a House of Councillors election on July 21, with official campaigning to start Thursday.
政府は、参院選の日程について７月４日公示、２１日投開票とすることを正式に決定した。
The number of constituencies in which one upper house seat is up for grabs has increased by two to 31 following the implementation of a measure to narrow vote-value disparities. The results of the battles in these constituencies are likely to determine the outcome of the whole election. The upcoming poll will also be closely watched as the nation’s first national election in which the use of the Internet will be allowed for campaigns.
参院の選挙区は「１票の格差」の是正措置により、１人区が従来より２増の３１となった。その勝敗が全体の趨勢(すうせい)を決めるだろう。インターネットを利用した選挙運動が初めて導入されることでも、注目される国政選挙となる。
Abe to face a test
◆安倍政権の実績に審判◆
The key focus of the election is expected to be whether the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito will be able to secure a majority of seats in the upper house and thus put an end to the current divided Diet.
最大の焦点は自民、公明の両党が参院で過半数を制し、衆参のねじれを解消できるかどうかだ。
If the ruling camp achieves this goal, the Abe administration will be on firmer footing, making the nation’s politics more stable. After the July upper house race, a national election will not be held for as long as three years. This would help create an environment in which the Abe administration can tackle issues thoroughly without worrying about elections.
解消できれば安倍首相の政権基盤は強まり、政治が安定する。次の国政選挙まで最大３年あるため、選挙を意識せず、課題にじっくり取り組む環境が生まれる。
Abe was in office when the Diet became divided after his LDP lost in the upper house election held six years ago. Abe said the divided Diet has thrown politics into confusion, significantly weakening Japan’s national power. “We must put an end to the divided Diet,” he said.
安倍首相は、６年前の参院選で敗北して衆参のねじれが生じた時も首相だった。ねじれによる政治の迷走で国力が大きく失われたとし、「衆参のねじれに終止符を打たねばならない」と主張している。
In the meantime, the ruling and opposition parties have repeatedly confronted each other. In light of this, deliberations on bills were often stalled, particularly in the upper house, including when the LDP itself was an opposition party.
この間、与野党は対立を繰り返した。自民党の野党時代も含め、とくに参院では法案審議が滞った。
On Wednesday, the closing day of the ordinary Diet session, the opposition-controlled upper house passed a censure motion against the prime minister. Four key government-sponsored bills, including one to revise the Electricity Business Law, were scrapped as a result. This is a prime example.
通常国会閉会日の２６日、参院の野党が首相問責決議を可決し、その影響で電気事業法改正案など政府提出の重要４法案が廃案になったことは象徴的だ。
The nature and purpose of the upper house should be also addressed in the upcoming election, as the chamber has turned into a stage for political maneuvering.
参院選では「政局の府」と化した参院の在りようも問われる。
For the Democratic Party of Japan, the election is likely to be a battle in which its very existence is at stake. The DPJ is likely to face a test of voter sentiment on efforts by President Banri Kaieda and its other leaders to rebuild the party, as well as on its handling of Diet affairs as the largest opposition party.
民主党は党の存亡をかけた戦いになる。海江田執行部による党再建の現状や、野党第１党としての国会対応を有権者が判断する。
Opposition comeback?
◆民・維の巻き返しは◆
The House of Representatives election last December boosted the presence of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) in the Diet, but the party has since lost strength for reasons such as the controversial remarks on so-called comfort women by its coleader Toru Hashimoto. In the July election, Hashimoto and fellow coleader Shintaro Ishihara will be tested on their ability to solidify its position in the upper house.
日本維新の会は、衆院選後、国会で一定の存在感を示したが、橋下共同代表のいわゆる従軍慰安婦問題を巡る発言などで失速気味だ。石原共同代表との二枚看板で、参院に地歩を築けるかどうか。
Meanwhile, both Your Party and the Japanese Communist Party significantly increased their seats in the recent Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election. They now aim to expand their public support in a national election.
東京都議選で議席を大幅に伸ばしたみんなの党、共産党は、全国でも支持拡大を狙っている。
The parties likely will clash over Abenomics, a set of economic measures promoted by the Abe administration.
政策で争点になるのは、まず安倍政権が推進している経済政策「アベノミクス」の評価だ。
To get the national economy out of deflation and achieve growth, Abe has emphasized that there is no alternative to carrying out his so-called three-arrow policy package of drastic monetary easing, flexible fiscal measures and a growth strategy.
首相は、デフレから脱却し、日本経済を成長させるには、大胆な金融緩和、機動的な財政政策、民間投資を喚起する成長戦略の「３本の矢」を進める道しかないと強調している。
However, as Abe has acknowledged, the people have yet to feel an economic recovery. So to win public understanding it is necessary to explain to them in detail about the aims and effects of the economic revitalization to be brought on by the full implementation of Abenomics.
首相が言うように、国民が景気回復を実感するまでには至っていない。アベノミクスによる経済再生の狙いと効果を国民に丁寧に説明し、理解を得る必要がある。
The DPJ, on the other hand, has criticized the government’s economic measures, saying they have caused “strong side effects” such as price hikes amid no raise in wages and an increase in housing loan interest rates.
一方、民主党は、賃金が上がらない中での物価上昇、住宅ローン金利の上昇など「強い副作用」が起きていると批判している。
How would the DPJ reconstruct the economy, then? Its argument will lack persuasive power unless it presents concrete measures. The party said it would “take good care of workers, boost income and enrich and expand the middle class.” But such abstract imagery falls short of explanations.
では、民主党ならどのように経済を立て直すのか。具体策を示さねば説得力はない。「働く人を大切にし、所得を増やし、中間層を厚く豊かにする」といった抽象論では、説明不足である。
In its campaign platform, the DPJ points to hikes in electricity and gas rates as “a rash of price increases” under the Abe administration. But these were largely caused by a sharp increase in fuel imports for the operation of thermal power plants that substituted for the nation’s nuclear power plants, most of which had their operations suspended under the DPJ-led administration.
民主党の公約は「値上げラッシュ」として電気やガス料金の値上げを強調しているが、民主党政権でほとんどの原子力発電所が止まり、代替の火力発電用燃料の輸入が急増した影響が大きい。
The DPJ’s criticism of price hikes must be questioned in terms of its consistency with its policy to end reliance on nuclear power generation.
脱原発政策との整合性も問われよう。
Worth watching in the upcoming upper house election will be whether the LDP, Nippon Ishin no Kai and Your Party, which show a keen interest in revising the Constitution, will be able to secure two-thirds or more of the seats. If this threshold is cleared, it will create a political environment in which initiating constitutional revision will be possible for the first time under the current national charter.
参院選では、自民党、日本維新の会、みんなの党など憲法改正に積極的な政党が参院で３分の２以上を確保するかも見所だ。改正の発議が可能となる政治環境が現行憲法下で初めて整うことになるからである。）
Can Abe put an end to divided Diet in coming upper house poll?
参院選へ 「ねじれ」に終止符打てるか（6月29日付・読売社説）
◆デフレ脱却へ具体策を競え◆
How will voters judge the performance of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration over the past six months?
安倍政権半年の実績を有権者は、どう審判するだろうか。
The government has formally decided to hold a House of Councillors election on July 21, with official campaigning to start Thursday.
政府は、参院選の日程について７月４日公示、２１日投開票とすることを正式に決定した。
The number of constituencies in which one upper house seat is up for grabs has increased by two to 31 following the implementation of a measure to narrow vote-value disparities. The results of the battles in these constituencies are likely to determine the outcome of the whole election. The upcoming poll will also be closely watched as the nation’s first national election in which the use of the Internet will be allowed for campaigns.
参院の選挙区は「１票の格差」の是正措置により、１人区が従来より２増の３１となった。その勝敗が全体の趨勢(すうせい)を決めるだろう。インターネットを利用した選挙運動が初めて導入されることでも、注目される国政選挙となる。
Abe to face a test
◆安倍政権の実績に審判◆
The key focus of the election is expected to be whether the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito will be able to secure a majority of seats in the upper house and thus put an end to the current divided Diet.
最大の焦点は自民、公明の両党が参院で過半数を制し、衆参のねじれを解消できるかどうかだ。
If the ruling camp achieves this goal, the Abe administration will be on firmer footing, making the nation’s politics more stable. After the July upper house race, a national election will not be held for as long as three years. This would help create an environment in which the Abe administration can tackle issues thoroughly without worrying about elections.
解消できれば安倍首相の政権基盤は強まり、政治が安定する。次の国政選挙まで最大３年あるため、選挙を意識せず、課題にじっくり取り組む環境が生まれる。
Abe was in office when the Diet became divided after his LDP lost in the upper house election held six years ago. Abe said the divided Diet has thrown politics into confusion, significantly weakening Japan’s national power. “We must put an end to the divided Diet,” he said.
安倍首相は、６年前の参院選で敗北して衆参のねじれが生じた時も首相だった。ねじれによる政治の迷走で国力が大きく失われたとし、「衆参のねじれに終止符を打たねばならない」と主張している。
In the meantime, the ruling and opposition parties have repeatedly confronted each other. In light of this, deliberations on bills were often stalled, particularly in the upper house, including when the LDP itself was an opposition party.
この間、与野党は対立を繰り返した。自民党の野党時代も含め、とくに参院では法案審議が滞った。
On Wednesday, the closing day of the ordinary Diet session, the opposition-controlled upper house passed a censure motion against the prime minister. Four key government-sponsored bills, including one to revise the Electricity Business Law, were scrapped as a result. This is a prime example.
通常国会閉会日の２６日、参院の野党が首相問責決議を可決し、その影響で電気事業法改正案など政府提出の重要４法案が廃案になったことは象徴的だ。
The nature and purpose of the upper house should be also addressed in the upcoming election, as the chamber has turned into a stage for political maneuvering.
参院選では「政局の府」と化した参院の在りようも問われる。
For the Democratic Party of Japan, the election is likely to be a battle in which its very existence is at stake. The DPJ is likely to face a test of voter sentiment on efforts by President Banri Kaieda and its other leaders to rebuild the party, as well as on its handling of Diet affairs as the largest opposition party.
民主党は党の存亡をかけた戦いになる。海江田執行部による党再建の現状や、野党第１党としての国会対応を有権者が判断する。
Opposition comeback?
◆民・維の巻き返しは◆
The House of Representatives election last December boosted the presence of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) in the Diet, but the party has since lost strength for reasons such as the controversial remarks on so-called comfort women by its coleader Toru Hashimoto. In the July election, Hashimoto and fellow coleader Shintaro Ishihara will be tested on their ability to solidify its position in the upper house.
日本維新の会は、衆院選後、国会で一定の存在感を示したが、橋下共同代表のいわゆる従軍慰安婦問題を巡る発言などで失速気味だ。石原共同代表との二枚看板で、参院に地歩を築けるかどうか。
Meanwhile, both Your Party and the Japanese Communist Party significantly increased their seats in the recent Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election. They now aim to expand their public support in a national election.
東京都議選で議席を大幅に伸ばしたみんなの党、共産党は、全国でも支持拡大を狙っている。
The parties likely will clash over Abenomics, a set of economic measures promoted by the Abe administration.
政策で争点になるのは、まず安倍政権が推進している経済政策「アベノミクス」の評価だ。
To get the national economy out of deflation and achieve growth, Abe has emphasized that there is no alternative to carrying out his so-called three-arrow policy package of drastic monetary easing, flexible fiscal measures and a growth strategy.
首相は、デフレから脱却し、日本経済を成長させるには、大胆な金融緩和、機動的な財政政策、民間投資を喚起する成長戦略の「３本の矢」を進める道しかないと強調している。
However, as Abe has acknowledged, the people have yet to feel an economic recovery. So to win public understanding it is necessary to explain to them in detail about the aims and effects of the economic revitalization to be brought on by the full implementation of Abenomics.
首相が言うように、国民が景気回復を実感するまでには至っていない。アベノミクスによる経済再生の狙いと効果を国民に丁寧に説明し、理解を得る必要がある。
The DPJ, on the other hand, has criticized the government’s economic measures, saying they have caused “strong side effects” such as price hikes amid no raise in wages and an increase in housing loan interest rates.
一方、民主党は、賃金が上がらない中での物価上昇、住宅ローン金利の上昇など「強い副作用」が起きていると批判している。
How would the DPJ reconstruct the economy, then? Its argument will lack persuasive power unless it presents concrete measures. The party said it would “take good care of workers, boost income and enrich and expand the middle class.” But such abstract imagery falls short of explanations.
では、民主党ならどのように経済を立て直すのか。具体策を示さねば説得力はない。「働く人を大切にし、所得を増やし、中間層を厚く豊かにする」といった抽象論では、説明不足である。
In its campaign platform, the DPJ points to hikes in electricity and gas rates as “a rash of price increases” under the Abe administration. But these were largely caused by a sharp increase in fuel imports for the operation of thermal power plants that substituted for the nation’s nuclear power plants, most of which had their operations suspended under the DPJ-led administration.
民主党の公約は「値上げラッシュ」として電気やガス料金の値上げを強調しているが、民主党政権でほとんどの原子力発電所が止まり、代替の火力発電用燃料の輸入が急増した影響が大きい。
The DPJ’s criticism of price hikes must be questioned in terms of its consistency with its policy to end reliance on nuclear power generation.
脱原発政策との整合性も問われよう。
Worth watching in the upcoming upper house election will be whether the LDP, Nippon Ishin no Kai and Your Party, which show a keen interest in revising the Constitution, will be able to secure two-thirds or more of the seats. If this threshold is cleared, it will create a political environment in which initiating constitutional revision will be possible for the first time under the current national charter.
参院選では、自民党、日本維新の会、みんなの党など憲法改正に積極的な政党が参院で３分の２以上を確保するかも見所だ。改正の発議が可能となる政治環境が現行憲法下で初めて整うことになるからである。）