你克我服 2005-02-17 04:44:08 326426
【原创翻译+评论】中日冲之鸟岛之争新动向
19关于中日争执不下的日本冲之鸟“岛”的争论,各方面已经有很多的阐述了。新关注此事的兄弟不妨参看老服早些时候写的介绍:
链接出处
今天向大家汇报一下此事的最新进展。
二话不说,先来一篇老服自译的 2月16日美国华尔街日报头版文章
(http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB110849423897755487,00.html?mod=todays_us_page_one
需要注册才能看,想看原文的弟兄私下给俺吱一声就行)
标题:太平洋的珊瑚礁究竟是“岛”,还是“岩”
副标题:
日本被质疑推到对争议水域主权宣示的尴尬地位
民间团体试图为冲之鸟岛找寻“用途”
华尔街日报 2005.2.16 头版
马丁?法克勒
东京的山田先生打算寻找新的方法来保卫日本的领土不受到来自中国的侵蚀。现在他已经构思了诸如“在上面建造监狱”、“在附近养大马哈鱼”、“养殖成千上万的微生物”等等。山田这些举动,都是在试图给位于悬离东京1100海里外的深蓝色太平洋中的无人珊瑚礁――冲之鸟岛――找寻一些经济用途。
日本财团是山田的雇主,同时也是为“爱国计划”提供财政援助的捐助机构。有了日本财团的帮助,无论山田的想法看上去多么荒诞而遥不可及,也会有被拿到台面上实践的机会。该捐助机构正卷入一起东京和北京之间围绕冲之鸟岛地位问题的外交争论。这几年,日本宣称冲之鸟岛是一个岛屿;作为一个岛屿,不仅仅有助于日本主张其主权,而且可以扩展其排他经济水域到达直径200海里的一个大圆,这可以给东京带来16万平方英里的海域――比日本的面积都大。
下图为山田
但是,去年四月,北京突然对此叫停。在一次中等级别的例行外交会晤中,中方代表指出,在中方看来,冲之鸟岛只是岩礁。这一地为认定,并没有质疑日本对其的主权主张,但这将打消掉日本对那庞大的排他经济水域(EEZ)的主张可能性。
中国在冲之鸟岛附近的利益在于其地理位置:冲之鸟岛处在当台湾发生对立事件时基地位于关岛的美军军舰前往驰援的必经之路上。中方致力于在这一地区拍摄海底图片,显然是为了其潜艇在发生冲突时可以在此拦截美军航母作准备。而中方这样的举动,在日本看来则是侵犯其EEZ,故而要强烈抗议了。
然而,来自美国和其他地区的海洋法专家,以及领土问题专家,则纷纷指出中国在此问题上的挑战是站得住脚的。根据1982年成立、有147个国家和地区认可的联合国海洋法,一个国家拥有EEZ只能基于其岛屿有人居住、或是能够维持自身的经济活动。然而冲之鸟岛哪一条也不满足,这也就意味着,那只不过是海鸟的岛屿罢了。从来不曾有人居住于此,这块环礁超过水面的全部面积也不过两张床垫那么大小。
冲之鸟岛位置示意图
专家指出,日本在此问题上的立场类似于此前英国在Rockall岛能否拥有其EEZ问题上的失败尝试,那也是一个大西洋上无人居住花岗岩水面露出部。伦敦在其他国家的反对之下,最后在九十年代不得不放弃了其希望拥有这一水域EEZ的主张。
夏威夷大学的海洋法专业的Jon Van Dyke教授指出:“你无法似是而非地宣称,说冲之鸟岛理应产生直径200海里的EEZ!”
到目前为止,日本始终致力于保护这个“冲之鸟岛”不至于彻底消失在大海上(译者服注:海浪的侵蚀等,影响到这个珊瑚礁的存亡。联合国海洋法121条规定,只有高潮时露出水面的陆地,才可能享有岛屿的地位,能够被列为领土。而冲之鸟岛现在在高潮时只有70厘米露出海面。随着海水的腐蚀,随时都有可能变成“不再是日本领土”。为此,日本政府采取了大量的手段,对这款日本“最南端的领土”加以保护)。但日本政府迄今没有什么任何手段去促进其经济活动。日本政府已经花费了2.5亿美元加固这个岛屿,修建了每边83英尺厚的防护墙来预防台风可能对这个岛屿造成的破坏。此外还有比较小一些的护墙,上有钛金属的窗框,来防止海浪卷来的残骸对岛屿的冲击。
由于日本政府在2004年4月的中国抗议之后无所作为,山田等人就开始自行动手了。这位42岁的山田先生说:“有时候民间的行动往往可以更有效果,提出的方案比政府也更具有现实性”。山田从前是证券交易商,14年前从银行辞职,从事一些社会公益活动。而日本财团,则是由已经去世的前摩托赛艇界巨头、百万富翁Sasakawa用别的名字在1962年建立的,用来赞助从麻风病研究,到类似冲之鸟岛这样的民族主义行动等等。
作为研究的第一步,山田组织了46名日本专家和评论家于去年11月乘船前往冲之鸟岛以进行集体研究。他们乘坐橡皮艇登上防护墙,在返航前花了数小时来拍照、测量和采集标本。
在日本财团位于东京的总部,山田在审阅十多个有这次“公款旅游”参加者提交上来的方案,以期实现“维持岛屿露出水面部分自身经济活动”的目标。其中一个建议,修建一个有人留守的珊瑚礁观测实验室,但山田觉得想修建能抵御冲之鸟岛海浪的棚屋,成本恐怕太高,要知道当地过台风的时候,海浪要有四层楼那么高的;另一个方案呼吁把冲之鸟岛开放用来进行经济旅行,不过山田又觉得冲之鸟岛那样没什么特色的珊瑚礁,恐怕没法吸引游客来参加即遥远且艰辛的旅行。山田还拒绝了一个试图“把冲之鸟岛这一处环礁填埋、铺设,以建设一个监狱”的构想。这片被海水淹没的环礁本身长2.7英里、宽1.1英里,被否定的计划原本打算把其中的一部分填没来实现其构想。山田对此表示说,“这岛必须要自然地使用才行”。
日本官方和政客们对日本财团的贡献表示欢迎。在与山田见面后,以直言著称的民族主义者、东京都领导人石原慎太郎表示承诺他领导下的城市愿意花费500万美元(理论上,冲之鸟岛隶属于东京都管辖)来实现其中的另一个方案:在冲之鸟岛附近水域建设一个大马哈鱼养殖场,以浮标拖带长索漂浮在水上,用以投下阴影来吸引大马哈鱼。
真正负责这片土地的日本的国土交通大臣,同样表示无论山田作出什么样的选择他们都会乐于批准的。大臣的助手Kadoyu说,“我们会高兴民间带来的有创意的提案的”。
中国的分析家则说,日本财团的举动只能够恶化事态,并谴责日本的挑衅态度。“这只不过是东京方面试图强化军事色彩的诸多动向之一罢了”,北京清华大学教授Chu Shulong这样评论这个外交问题。
到目前为止,山田已经决定赞助两个项目。头一个投资1000万美元,来建设无人值守的灯塔。他说这举动本身将构成“经济活动”,因为这个灯塔标示可以提高附近航路的安全性,而这条航路可以将澳大利亚铁矿石和其他原材料运往日本。
但山田最关心的还是在另一个项目上,这个更具有野心的项目是逐渐拓殖冲之鸟岛的面积,直到其大到支持永久的定居者。为了自然地实现这个目标(这样就不违反海洋法的约定),山田打算通过两种方法制造数以吨记的沙子。其中之一是促进珊瑚的繁殖,这将最终通过海浪的磨蚀变成粉末。促进珊瑚生长,则是通过将数百个中空的混凝土制“花盒”沉入附近的海水中,以保护珊瑚的幼虫;另一条路则是吸引大批的Foraminifera虫(译者服注:有孔虫类,俺也没见过),这种虫类有坚硬的外壳,死后会变成砂子。由于这种有孔虫还能吸引植物,所以它们可以在环礁上面形成大片的“人工草坪”。
作为构思这个计划者之一的冲绳私立Akajima海洋科学研究室负责人大森先生说,“人类从前还没有尝试过这样用自然的方法加快岛屿的形成速度”。作为一位海洋生物学家,大森博士是在研究了“台风与潮汐是如何自然地影响形成岛屿”这一课题后作出这个规划的。不过大森博士也承认,即使这个计划能实现,也需要数十年乃至数百年才能将如今的冲之鸟岛扩大到足够使用。不过那并没有动摇山田的信心,他说“国际海洋法可没有规定经济活动非要马上开始”.....
以上报道是James T. Areddy从上海为您献上的。
**********************************
上面提到的Rockall岛争议,住在欧洲的弟兄们可能都耳熟能详。
这是北大西洋上的一个岛屿,地理位置如下图所示
Rockall岛位于西经13度,北纬57度,距离对其有主权要求的苏格兰、爱尔兰、冰岛均有300英里的距离(对Rockall有主权要求的,还有丹麦,呵呵,那是从丹麦所属的法罗群岛算起的....)。英国无疑是其中声音最大的一家,不仅在1955年宣布这是自己的领土,还在后来主张以此“岛”为圆心的200海里EEZ。但这种努力在1997年宣告破产。我们来回顾一下当时英国下议院关于这个问题的问答纪录:
(议员)米歇尔:我要问对外事务部长,大不列颠当局以什么道理为依据,要被迫放弃对Rockall周边海域的主张?
(对外事务部长)托尼?洛伊德:不列颠在Rockall岛以西的渔业区域范围将根据联合王国对联合国海洋法的承认而改划。因为联合国海洋法将给联合王国带来更多的利益,包括对我们的海岸线执行严格的反污染措施、以及航海自由的重要规定等。
在这部联合国海洋法里面,也规定了“不能让人类居住、或者无法维持自身经济活动的岛屿,将不具有EEZ和大陆架。”
即使是我们接受这一联合国海洋法公约前,联合王国政府所主张的“Rockall岛周围200海里渔业专区”这一提法,也遭到了严重的质疑。
现在,Rockall岛仍将继续是苏格兰的一部分,拥有12海里的领海,也将继续留在不列颠渔业专区内。
(节自1997年7月31日 英国下议院问答纪录)
************************************
这次回家,老服有幸碰到一位负责这桩公案的北大国际法法学博士,据他介绍,无论是从法理、类似判例、国际法学权威的态度倾向,冲之鸟岛争端问题上,我们都遥遥领先。
就算是日本舆论自己,也意识到了自己的欠缺。
上面翻译的那篇文章可以说是这种状态比较好的写照。文章中的“夏威夷大学国际海洋法教授”,在俺上次写的文章中也已经出现过了。以他为代表的国际法专家们,大多对这个案例表示倾向于我国的观点。
今后我们的工作主要有如下几个方面:
1)在法理及其解释、澄清上,加强和国外志同道合学术界的联合
2)对现有判例、争端解决的追踪、以及相关国家处理方式的学习
3)准备遵循合理的原则,在国际海洋法的框架内尽早解决争议
4)媒体配合,不仅在自家要做充分的宣传,也要将争议的实质、我方的主张和看法等拓展到有类似情况的国家和地区,从而达到产生共鸣的作用,最终把我们的声音借助国际压力传入被单方面宣传而蒙蔽的日本,做到不战而屈人之兵。
神仙驴 转自视野新贴,你克我服 修改于2005-02-17 18:22:50
给.....A Reef or a Rock?
Question Puts Japan
In a Hard Place
To Claim Disputed Waters,
Charity Tries to Find Use
For Okinotori Shima
By MARTIN FACKLER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
February 16, 2005; Page A1
TOKYO -- Yoshihiko Yamada is determined to find new ways to defend Japan's
territory from Chinese encroachment. Some ideas so far: building a prison, raising
tuna and breeding billions of micro-organisms.
Mr. Yamada is trying to find some economic use for Okinotori Shima, an uninhabited
coral reef that sits isolated in the deep blue Pacific Ocean 1,100 miles south of
Tokyo. No matter how far-fetched, the ideas he picks could become reality, thanks
to millions of dollars from Mr. Yamada's employer, the Nippon Foundation, a charity
that finances patriotic projects.
The charity is wading into a diplomatic row between Tokyo and Beijing over
Okinotori's status. For years, Japan has called Okinotori an island, which allows
Japan to claim not only sovereignty but also exclusive economic control of waters
extending out 230 miles, or 200 nautical miles, in every direction. This has
allowed Tokyo to claim 160,000 square miles of ocean -- an area larger than the
entire landmass of Japan.
[Yoshihiko Yamada]
Then, last April, Beijing suddenly cried foul. At a routine meeting of midlevel
diplomats from both sides, the Chinese representatives said their nation now views
Okinotori as just a rock. That definition doesn't question Japan's sovereignty. But
it would erase Japan's claim to the vast exclusive economic zone, or EEZ.
Chinese interest in Okinotori lies in its location: along the route U.S. warships
would likely take from bases in Guam in the event of a confrontation over Taiwan.
China's efforts to map the sea bottom, apparently so its submarines could intercept
U.S. aircraft carriers in a crisis, have drawn sharp protests from Japan that China
is violating its EEZ.
Still, U.S. and other experts on oceanic law and territorial issues say China's
challenge is valid. According to the United Nations Law of the Sea, established in
1982 and adhered to by 147 countries and territories, countries can have an EEZ
around only an island that has inhabitants, or self-sustaining economic activity.
But neither is the case with Okinotori Shima, which means "Island of the Sea
Birds." No one has ever lived there, and the atoll's entire exposed landmass is
just two mattress-sized boulders barely sticking of the water.
Experts say Japan's position is similar to a failed British attempt to claim an EEZ
around Rockall, an uninhabited granite outcropping in the Atlantic. London
eventually dropped its claim in the 1990s when other countries objected. "You
simply can't make a plausible claim that Okinotori should be able to generate a 200
[nautical]-mile zone," says Jon Van Dyke, a law professor at the University of
Hawaii specializing in oceanic law.
So far, Japan has gone to great lengths to prevent Okinotori from disappearing
altogether, but has done little to create economic activity. It has spent more than
$250 million to fortify each of the twin boulders with its own 83-foot-thick
concrete sea wall to protect it from typhoons. The smaller boulder was also covered
with a titanium screen to stop wave-hurled debris from chipping off a piece of it.
[ ]
So, because Japan did nothing after China's April 2004 rock proclamation, Mr.
Yamada swung into action. "Sometimes the private sector can be more efficient, and
come up with more realistic plans than the government," says the 42-year-old Mr.
Yamada. A former bond trader, he quit his job at a bank 14 years ago to do
something of social value. The Nippon Foundation, founded under a different name in
1962 by Ryoichi Sasakawa, a billionaire boat-racing tycoon who died in 1995, funds
everything from leprosy research to nationalistic projects like Okinotori.
As initial research, Mr. Yamada took 46 Japanese academics and journalists by ship
to the island in November to brainstorm ideas. There, the group used rubber
dinghies to land on the sea wall of one of the boulders, spending a few hours
photographing, measuring and taking samples from the outcropping before heading
back.
At Nippon Foundation's Tokyo headquarters, Mr. Yamada looked over more than a dozen
proposals made by his junketeers for creating self-sustaining economic activity on
the outcropping. One called for building a manned coral-research lab, but Mr.
Yamada thought it might be too expensive to shield it from Okinotori's waves, which
can tower as high as a four-story building during a typhoon. Another was to open
Okinotori to ecotourism, but the drab reef might not merit the long, grueling trip,
Mr. Yamada says. He also rejected a plan to cover the atoll with pavement or
landfill in order to build a prison. The submerged reef is about 2.7 miles long and
1.1 miles wide and the plan called for filling in part of it. "The island has to be
natural to qualify," he says.
Japanese officials and politicians say they welcome the Nippon Foundation's
efforts. After meeting with Mr. Yamada, Tokyo's outspoken nationalist governor,
Shintaro Ishihara, promised that the city would spend $5 million to implement
another proposal: creating a "tuna ranch" around Okinotori by floating buoys
carrying long ropes in the water, which cast shadows to attract the fish.
(Okinotori is technically part of Tokyo.) The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and
Transport, which administers the island, also says it will likely approve whatever
Mr. Yamada comes up with.
"We're happy the private sector is coming up with some creative ideas," says
Katsunori Kadoyu, an assistant director at the ministry.
Chinese analysts said the Nippon Foundation's moves would only worsen the situation
and blamed Japan for being more aggressive. "It's just one of the many new
developments from Tokyo of a strong military approach" to addressing diplomatic
issues, said Chu Shulong, a professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
So far, Mr. Yamada has decided to fund two projects. The first is a $10 million,
unmanned lighthouse. He says it would constitute economic activity because the
beacon would improve the safety of a busy nearby shipping route for carrying
Australian iron ore and other raw materials to Japan.
But Mr. Yamada's heart is in another, more ambitious project: To gradually expand
Okinotori's landmass until it's big enough to hold a permanent population. To do
this naturally -- and thus to abide by the Law of the Sea -- Mr. Yamada is hoping
to produce tons of sand using two methods. One is accelerating the growth of coral,
which is pulverized into sand by waves, by submerging hundreds of hollow concrete
"flower boxes" to shelter coral larvae. The other is to attract large numbers of
Foraminifera, hard-shelled microscopic organisms whose bodies become sand as they
die. Since Foraminifera are drawn to plants, there will be sheets of artificial
turf laid out on the atoll's floor.
"Humans have never tried to speed along the natural island-building processes
before," says one of the plan's authors, Makoto Omori, director of Akajima Marine
Science Laboratory, a private research center in Okinawa. A marine biologist, Dr.
Omori came up with the idea after studying how typhoons and currents created
islands naturally.
If the plan works at all, it will take decades or even a century before the island
is large enough to be useful, admits Dr. Omori. That doesn't deter Mr. Yamada. "The
Law of the Sea doesn't specify that economic activity has to start right away," he
says.
--James T. Areddy in Shanghai contributed to this article