在中日领土争端导致双边关系紧张局势加剧之际，日本政府周二抨击了中国的海上战略，并呼吁增强日本在争议水域内偏远岛屿周围的侦察和防卫能力。

As a territorial dispute strains bilateral relations between Japan and China, Tokyo Tuesday criticized Beijing's expansionary maritime strategies, and called for beefed up surveillance and defense capabilities around remote islands in contested waters.

a territorial dispute 领土争端

strain v. 拉紧

bilateral relations 双边关系

expansionary maritime strategies 扩张性的海上战略

beef up 加强

surveillance 监督，监视，侦查

contested waters 争议水域

 

In the latest edition of its annual Defense White Paper, the Japanese government said for the first time that the relationship between Beijing's political elite and its military leadership has been growing complex and that 'the degree of military influence on foreign-policy decision has been changing.' That, in turn, creates challenges for Japan's crisis management, the defense ministry said.

White Paper （一些国家的政府或议会正式发表的有关政治、外交、财政等重大问题的文件。其封面有惯用的颜色，白色的叫白皮书，蓝色、黄色、红色的则分别叫蓝皮书、黄皮书和红皮书。）

crisis management 危机处理

Defense Ministry 外交部

 

The 482-page document was released weeks after bilateral tensions flared up with a confrontation between patrol vessels from the two nations in the waters near a chain of disputed East China Sea islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.

flare up 突然发怒，突然燃烧

patrol vessel 巡逻艇

 

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto last week said on separate occasions that Japan could deploy its self-defense forces if maritime confrontations escalate beyond what could be handled by its Coast Guard.

Prime Minister 首相

on separate occasions 在不同场合

deploy 部署，展开

escalate 逐步增强，逐步升高

 

'Year after year, there has been the presence of Chinese maritime surveillance and law-enforcement commands in the areas surrounding the Senkaku Islands. This is intrusion into the territorial waters of our country, and attention must be paid in order to prepare for any contingencies,' Yasuhisa Ishizuka, Defense Councilor at Defense Minister's Secretariat, told reporters. (Shame on Japan)

intrusion into ... 侵入，闯入

contingency 意外事故，偶然性

secretariat 秘书处

 

Senior Col. Geng Yansheng, China's defense ministry spokesman, said Chinese authorities had taken note of recent 'irresponsible' remarks by Japanese officials about the Diaoyu islands.

 

'Such erroneous remarks will have to meet the firm opposition of the Chinese people,' he told a scheduled news conference marking China's Army Day on Aug 1.

He said the Chinese military would coordinate with other agencies responsible for safeguarding China's sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. But he gave no further details.

erroneous [i'rəuniəs] 错误的，不正确的

meet the opposition of ... 遭到......的强烈反对

coordinate with ... 与......进行协商

 

In addition to stepping up surveillance and defense, the Japanese government called for a Cold-War-style. hot line between the two militaries to try to prevent tensions from escalating. 'Confidence-building measures are required, such as establishing maritime hot line mechanisms,' Mr. Ishizuka said.

step up 提高，增加

hot line 热线

prevent tensions from escalating 防止紧张局势进一步升级

confidence-building 有助于建立信心的

 

Turning to North Korea, the Japanese government said it expected its rogue neighbor to continue to beef up its military capabilities, noting that Pyongyang has been repeating 'provocative military action' on the Korean peninsula.

rogue 流氓

Korean peninsula 朝鲜半岛

 

As in the past, Tokyo stressed that North Korea's nuclear testing, and the development of chemical weapons accompanied by the buildup of its missile capability pose security challenges for Japan and the region.

nuclear testing 核试验

pose challenges for ... 对......构成威胁/挑战