US AND JAPAN COOPERATE IN SOUTH CHINA SEA PATROLS|美日軍事合作 參與巡弋強化南海防衛

Japan's new defense minister Tomomi Inada gave a speech on Sep. 16th during her visit to Washington, D.C. She said Japan will increase its cooperation with the US military, including promotig the joint patrol operations and assisting south Asian countries in maritime defense and law enforcement. China and Russia held joint exercises in the South China Sea, incluing live-fire drills, sea crossing and island landing operations. It was a declaration of their attempt to doiminate the region and curtail the engagement of the US and other south Asian countries. The ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which denied China's claims, was not included in the ASEAN summit's agenda. However, the US still challenged China's claim by dispatching warships and military planes to the region. Tomomi Inada said during her visit to Washington D.C. that Japan will strenghthen its military cooperation with the US in the South China Sea. ==TOMOMI INADA, Japan Defense Minister== Japan, for its part, will increase its engagement in the South China Sea through, for example, Maritime Self-Defense Force joint training cruises with the U.S. Navy and bilateral and multilateral exercises with regional navies. Tomomi Inada also said that if China continues to increase their claim to sovereignty in the South and East China Sea despite the ruling of the international arbitration, the consequences can be global. TRANSLATED BY：CHRISTINA LIU 訪問華府的日本新任防衛大臣稻田朋美15號在演說中重申，日本將提升和美軍在南海的合作，包括參與美軍在當地的巡弋任務，以及協助南海各國加強海上防衛與執法能力。 中國和俄羅斯兩國海軍，在南海海域進行實彈射擊、和兩棲登陸等不同項目的聯合演習。以實際行動向周邊國家宣告，要掌控整個海域、牽制美國和南海其他國家的企圖心。 由於日前結束的東南亞國協高峰會宣言，沒有列入海牙仲裁法庭、有關否決中國主權主張的文字，讓美日等國吃了悶虧。不過美軍還是決定挑戰中國的主張，持續派軍艦和巡邏機，巡弋南海的海空領域。而人在華府訪問的日本防衛大臣稻田朋美也重申，日本將提升和美國在南海的軍事合作。 ==日本防衛大臣 稻田朋美== 站在日本的立場，我們將更深入南海，方法是透過海上自衛隊和美國海軍聯合訓練巡弋，以及和當地各國海軍雙邊與多邊演習，並協助南海諸國提升海防能力。 稻田朋美表示，如果任由中國無視於國際仲裁的結論，逕自擴張在南海跟東海的主權主張，未來全世界都會受到衝擊。對於日方的表態，美軍也以書面聲明表示歡迎。 記者 徐家仁 報導