Senator John McCain has accused China of acting like “bully” in the Asia-Pacific region by using its economic strength to coerce neighbours and making territorial claims in the South China Sea that are not backed up by international law.
参议员约翰?麦凯恩(John McCain)指责中国在亚太地区的行为举止像个“恶霸”(bully)，利用经济实力胁迫邻国并在南中国海提出没有国际法支持的领土主张。
In a speech during a visit to Australia on Tuesday, the US senator suggested Canberra should join the US in taking part in freedom of navigation operations in the disputed South China Sea. He also acknowledged US partners around the world had concerns about the administration of President Donald Trump but called on them to have patience and stick with America in the face of a resurgent China and Russia.在周二访问澳大利亚期间发表的一篇演讲中，这位美国参议员建议堪培拉方面加入美国在有争议的南中国海展开的航行自由行动。他还承认，美国在世界各地的伙伴都对唐纳德?特朗普(Donald Trump)政府感到担心，但呼吁它们保持耐心，面对崛起的中国和俄罗斯，坚持与美国站在一起。“The challenge is that as China has grown wealthier and stronger, it seems to be acting more and more like a bully. It is refusing to open more of its economy so that foreign businesses can compete fairly.”“挑战在于，随着中国日益变得富裕和强大，它的行为举止似乎越来越像个恶霸。它拒绝进一步开放本国经济，以便让外国企业能够公平竞争。”“It is stealing other peoples’ intellectual property. It is asserting vast territorial claims that have no basis in international law. And it is using its trade and investment as tools to coerce its neighbours.”“它窃取别人的知识产权。它提出没有国际法依据的庞大领土主张。它还利用贸易和投资作为手段来胁迫邻国。”Mr McCain, who is chairman of the US Senate’s armed services committee, said he did not envisage conflict with Beijing but said it was better if Australia and the US dealt with the strategic challenges posed by China together with other partners in the Asia-Pacific region.担任美国参议院军事委员会主席的麦凯恩称，他并未设想与北京方面发生冲突，但他表示，如果澳大利亚和美国能携手亚太地区其他伙伴一起应对中国构成的战略挑战，那将更好。Mr McCain is due to attend a major defence summit in Singapore this week where he is expected to reach out to allies in the Asia Pacific region which are nervous about US policy.麦凯恩计划出席本周在新加坡举行的一场重大防务峰会，预计他将争取那些对美国的政策忧心忡忡的亚太盟友。“I realise some of President Trump’s actions and statements have unsettled America’s friends. They have unsettled many Americans,” he said. “[But] I believe that Australia, and our other allies and partners can still count on America.”“我明白，特朗普总统的一些言行让美国的盟友们感到不安。他的言行也让许多美国人不安，”他说，“（但）我相信，澳大利亚以及我们的其他盟友和伙伴仍可以依靠美国。”Mr McCain acknowledged the US was going through a “rough patch” and there was a real debate under way in the US about what kind of role America should play in the world.麦凯恩承认，美国正在经历一段“艰难时期”；围绕美国应在世界扮演何种角色，美国国内展开了一场认真的辩论。“Frankly, I don’t know how this debate will play out. But I do believe — and I don’t think I’m exaggerating here — that the future of the world will turn to a large extent on how this debate in America is resolved.”“老实说，我不知道这场辩论的结果将是什么样的。但我的确相信——而且我不认为我是在夸大其词——世界的未来将在很大程度上取决于美国的这场辩论如何收场。”During his trip to Australia Mr McCain said he believed Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, was a bigger threat than Isis following the country’s attempt to interfere with the US election.在访问澳大利亚期间，麦凯恩表示，他认为俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔?普京(Vladimir Putin)的威胁比“伊斯兰国”(ISIS)更大，因为俄罗斯试图干涉美国大选。Mr McCain’s visit to Australia comes at a sensitive time for Australia’s 65-year-old military alliance with the US. Mr Trump’s election victory and a difficult first phone call with Malcolm Turnbull, Australia’s prime minister, which the US president described as his “worst call by far”, has caused some politicians to call for a recalibration of the relationship. Public support for the alliance is at a near-decade low.麦凯恩到访之际，澳大利亚与美国的65年军事联盟处于一个敏感时刻。特朗普的胜选以及他与澳大利亚总理马尔科姆?特恩布尔(Malcolm Turnbull)话不投机的第一次通电话——这位美国总统形容那是他“遥遥领先的最艰难通话”——促使一些政界人士呼吁调整两国关系。公众对澳美军事联盟的支持处于近10年来的低点。There is concern in Canberra that it could become caught in the middle of a tug of war between the Trump administration and China, Australia’s largest trading partner. So far the government of Mr Turnbull has not performed a freedom of navigation operation within one of the 12-nautical mile boundaries set by China by means of its territorial claims to disputed islets in the South China Sea.堪培拉方面担心自己可能在特朗普政府和中国之间的角力中陷入困境，中国是澳大利亚最大的贸易伙伴。到目前为止，特恩布尔政府尚未在中国通过对南海争议岛礁提出领土主张所设置的12海里界限内进行航行自由行动。Mr McCain said it would be unfair to ask Australia to choose the US at the expense of China.
麦凯恩承认，要求澳大利亚以中国为代价选择美国是不公平的。"That is a false choice. The real choice, the real question, is whether Australia and America are better off dealing with China’s strategic and economic challenges together, or by ourselves."“那是一个伪选择。真正的选择，真正的问题，是澳大利亚与美国一起应对中国的战略和经济挑战是不是更好？抑或由我们自己应对更好？”