評論
打印
Leaders
社論
China and America
中國和美國
Military misunderstandings
軍事誤解
For the sake of global peace, the armed forces of the world’s two superpowers must learn to communicate
為了全球和平，世界兩個超級大國的軍隊必須學會溝通
IT IS A sobering thought that official military communication between America and China is still conducted by fax machine. The use of this obsolete technology symbolises a worrying lack of effective dialogue between the two countries’ armed forces. The giants jostle for space in the western Pacific; their ships and jets man oeuvre close to each other every day. Neither side wants war, but China is intent on keeping America at bay. It is easy to imagine how a collision in the air or at sea could escalate. Casualties could fan nationalist flames on either side and cause twitchy officers, or political leaders, to respond in ways that lead rapidly to disaster. So could a misunderstanding by either side of the other’s military movements. Relations between China and America are already strained over trade and a host of other matters. So it is only common sense to try to reduce the risk that their cold-war style sparring might turn hot.
中美之間官方軍事交流仍通過傳真機進行，發人深省。使用這種過時的技術意味著兩國軍隊之間缺乏有效的對話，這令人擔憂。兩個大國在西太平洋爭奪空間；兩國的船只和噴氣機每天都在彼此的附近工作。雙方都不希望戰爭，但中國決意牽制美國。不難想象，空中或海上的碰撞會如何升級。傷亡可能會在任何一方激起民族主義的火焰，并導致焦躁不安的官員或政治領導人以迅速導致災難的方式做出反應。雙方軍事行動中的任何一方的誤解也可能是如此。中美關系已經因為貿易和許多其他問題而變得緊張。因此，按常識來講，要試圖降低他們冷戰式爭吵可能激化的風險。
American and Chinese officers are getting to know each other better. Exchanges between their military academies, port calls and high-level visits to each other’s countries have multiplied over the years. But there is still a huge gulf. Much of the interaction is superficial. American officers often describe the Chinese who talk to them as “barbarian handlers”: polished, English-speaking political appointees, usually intelligence officers, whose uniforms have never been crumpled or muddied.
美國和中國的官員正在更好地了解彼此。近年來，兩國軍事院校之間的交流、港口互訪和高層互訪成倍增加。但巨大鴻溝仍然存在。很多互動都是流于表面。美國官員經常把和他們交談的中國人描述為“野蠻的操縱者”: 圓滑、精通英語的政治任命官員，通常是情報官員，制服從來都是整潔干凈。
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