英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun September 14, 2013
Comprehensive security strategy must be drawan up
国家安保戦略　日本の将来へ包括的指針示せ（9月13日付・読売社説）

It is imperative for this country to clearly designate the national interests and goals of its diplomatic and security policies for the medium- and long-term, and create a comprehensive set of policy guidelines for their realization.
　中長期的な外交・安全保障上の国益と目標を明示し、その実現に向けた包括的な政策指針を掲げることが肝要である。

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has instructed relevant Cabinet members to draw up a national security strategy as the basis for the nation’s security policy. A panel of diplomacy and security policy experts met for the first time Thursday at the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss specifics of the envisioned strategy.
　安倍首相が「国家安全保障戦略」の策定を関係閣僚に指示した。その中身を議論する有識者会議の初会合が開かれた。

The government plans to submit a bill to create a Japanese version of the U.S. National Security Council to an extraordinary Diet session this autumn. The newly established body is scheduled to make its national security strategy public around the end of the year.
　秋の臨時国会で国家安全保障会議（日本版ＮＳＣ）設置法案を成立させ、ＮＳＣが今年末に国家安保戦略を発表する。

A new version of the Defense Program Guidelines, an outline of the nation’s long-term defense policy, which the government will also present at year’s end, will be compiled to translate the strategy into reality.
年末に作成する新防衛大綱も、この戦略を具体化する内容にする予定だ。

The government worked out the first Defense Program Guidelines in 1976, having revised the key security document three times so far.
　政府は１９７６年に防衛大綱を策定し、３回改定している。

The main purpose of the guidelines concerns the buildup of the nation’s defense capabilities. The envisaged comprehensive national security strategy encompassing diplomatic and economic issues as well as defense will be the first of its kind. Along with the planned NSC, a control tower to address national security tasks, the forthcoming national security strategy will surely be extremely significant.
だが、大綱は防衛力整備が目的だ。外交、経済を含む総合的な国家安保戦略の策定は初めてで、安保の司令塔となるＮＳＣの創設と合わせて、画期的な意義を持つ。

The United States has been formulating its national defense strategy since 1987. The government of President George W. Bush, the predecessor of the administration of President Barack Obama, had a strategy of preemptive strikes against terrorism-sponsoring countries. However, the Obama administration follows a goal of international collaboration. Other countries, such as Britain, Russia, South Korea and Australia, have set similar strategies.
　米国は８７年以来、国家安保戦略を策定している。ブッシュ前政権はテロ国家への先制攻撃論、オバマ政権は国際協調を掲げた。英露韓豪各国も同様の戦略を持つ。

More ‘active’ pacifism

Given the rapidly deteriorating security environment surrounding Japan in recent years, this country should have drawn up its own national security strategy sooner.
　日本も、近年の安全保障環境の悪化を踏まえれば、もっと早く戦略を立てるべきだった。

China, aiming to become a major maritime power, has been ramping up its military, conducting menacing and provocative activities in the East China Sea and elsewhere. In addition to North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile development programs, the threat of terrorist activities and cyber-attacks have also increased.
　中国は、海洋強国を目指し、軍備を増強して、東シナ海などで示威活動を展開する。北朝鮮の核・ミサイル開発に加え、テロ、サイバー攻撃の脅威も増している。

To ensure the peace and prosperity of Japan and the Asian region, what goals should be set up and what approach should be taken to that end?
　日本とアジアの平和と繁栄を確保するには、何を目標に掲げ、どんなアプローチを取るべきか。

The chief cabinet secretary, foreign and defense ministers, other relevant Cabinet members and members of the expert panel are strongly urged to have deep discussions in crafting a national strategy.
官房長官、外相、防衛相ら関係閣僚や、有識者はしっかりと議論し、戦略をまとめてもらいたい。

Of high importance to the ministries and agencies involved will certainly be the ability to share priority tasks and awareness of problems among themselves, in a feasible manner to be reflected adequately in policies.
　その作業を通じて、関係府省が外交・安保の優先課題や問題意識を共有し、その後の政策に適切に反映することが重要である。

To be able to address the many security challenges facing this country, what must be tackled first is the bolstering of the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard’s capabilities to defend the integrity of Japan’s territory. Beefing up the SDF’s cooperation with U.S. forces to strengthen that bilateral alliance is also a must.
　山積する安全保障の課題に取り組むには、まず日本の領土・領海を守る自衛隊や海上保安庁の体制を拡充する必要がある。自衛隊と米軍の協力を拡大し、日米同盟を強化することも欠かせない。

Based on Abe’s initiative for a more “active” pacifist stance, Japan should play more roles than it has so far for such causes as international peacekeeping operations and actions to fight pirate activities, by boosting cooperation with the international community. International cooperation on economic and energy issues should also be steadily consolidated.
　首相の掲げる「積極的平和主義」に基づき、国連平和維持活動（ＰＫＯ）や海賊対処行動などで日本が従来以上に役割を果たし、国際社会と連携することが大切だ。経済・エネルギー面の国際協力も着実に進めねばなるまい。

These must be systematically incorporated into the planned national security strategy.
　安保戦略には、こうした具体策を体系的に盛り込むべきだ。

Making Japan’s goals and key policies as clear as as possible is vital, at it will ensure their transparency both at home and abroad.
　重要なのは、日本の目標や政策をできるだけ明確にし、国内外への透明性を確保することだ。

By doing so, it will become possible to deepen public understanding of the national security strategy, while making it clear that the claim of Japan’s “drift to the right” is far off the mark. It will also differentiate Japan from China, which has been under criticism for the lack of transparency of its military.
　国家安保戦略に対する国民の理解を深めるとともに、日本の「右傾化」批判が的外れなことや、不透明な軍事力が批判される中国との違いを示すことにもなろう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 13, 2013)
（2013年9月13日01時52分 読売新聞）