中国建国６０年―富国強兵の道の危うさ

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 2(IHT/Asahi: October 3,2009)
EDITORIAL: China's 60th anniversary
中国建国６０年―富国強兵の道の危うさ

China celebrated the 60th anniversary of its communist revolution on Thursday.
　中華人民共和国が６０周年を迎えた。

"Today, a socialist China geared to modernization, the world and the future has stood rock-firm in the East of the world," Chinese President Hu Jintao proclaimed in his speech delivered from the Tiananmen Rostrum, which was used by Mao Tse-tung to declare a new era for China.
Addressing an estimated 200,000 people in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, Hu also said, "Only socialism can save China and only reform and opening up can ensure the development of China."
Hu reviewed his troops in the nation's first military parade in 10 years. He wore the kind of black high-collared jacket favored by Sun Yat-sen, an indication of his pride as China's fourth-generation leader following Mao, Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin.
　「中国は世界の東方にそびえ立っている。社会主義だけが中国を救い、改革開放こそが中国を発展させた」
　胡錦濤国家主席は、毛沢東が建国を宣言した天安門楼上で約２０万人を前に演説し、１０年ぶりの軍事パレードを閲兵した。孫文が好んだ黒い礼服姿は、毛、トウ（登におおざと）小平、江沢民の各氏に続く、共産党第４世代の指導者としての自負を見せつけた。

The parade was a triumphant display of China's military power, showcasing the nation's state-of-the-art weapons, including the Dongfeng 31A intercontinental ballistic missile, whose range is believed to cover the entire United States, and the Jian-11, a fighter jet based on Russia's Sukhoi Su-27.
　パレードでは、米国全土を射程に収めるとされる大陸間弾道ミサイル「東風３１Ａ」や、ロシアの戦闘機をもとにした「殲（せん）１１」など国産の最新兵器を多数披露し、軍事力の充実を誇示した。

China has experienced periods of great upheaval during the past 60 years, such as the disastrous Great Leap Forward that caused a huge number of deaths--tens of millions according to an estimate--because of reckless plans for raising production. Another bleak period was the Cultural Revolution. China then embarked on a path of reform and opening-up. This major policy shift occurred about three decades ago.
　無謀な増産計画で数千万人ともいわれる犠牲者を出した大躍進や、それに続く文化大革命など幾多の混乱を経て、中国は約３０年前に改革開放にかじを切った。

Now, China is about to overtake Japan to become the world's second-largest economy. It is recovering from the global recession, ahead of all other major economies, thanks to a series of bold economic measures taken by Beijing. China appears to be focusing on a single-minded quest to create a prosperous country with a strong army.
　そして今、日本を抜いて世界第２の経済大国になる日は近い。同時不況からも、大胆な経済対策で真っ先に回復しつつある。富国強兵の道をまっしぐらに突き進もうとしているようだ。

The world is moving from the unipolar dominance by the United States to a multipolar order. The U.S., Japanese and European economies are all closely linked to the Chinese market, which is rapidly expanding its presence.
　世界は米国の一極支配から多極化への歩みを速めている。存在感を高める中国経済に、米国も日本も欧州も緊密に結びついている。

On the other hand, the world is increasingly worried about China's rapid military buildup. This is a reality with serious security implications for Japan, too. Beijing's aggressive strategy for securing energy and other resources is causing conflict in many parts of the world.
　半面、軍事力の強大化に世界は懸念と危惧（きぐ）を深めている。日本にとっても重い現実である。強引な資源獲得戦略が各地であつれきも呼んでいる。

But China is also showing a willingness to fulfill its responsibility as a major power.
　一方で中国は、大国の責任を果たそうという意欲も見せる。

At a recent series of United Nations conferences and the Group of 20 summit, Hu emphasized China's commitment to international cooperation. Hu promised to incorporate policy responses to climate change into the government's development plan and take powerful measures. He also pledged that China will not join the nuclear arms race and said it will work to promote the international nuclear arms reduction process.
　胡主席は、一連の国連の会議やＧ２０の場で「気候変動への対応を発展計画に組み入れ、強力な措置をとる」「核軍備競争に加わらず、国際的な核軍縮プロセス推進に努める」などと述べ、国際協調を重視する姿勢を示した。

But there is a stunning gap between the nation's confident way of behaving in the international arena and the unsettled conditions at home.
　しかし、外の世界への自信に満ちた振る舞いと、国内の不穏な空気との落差は尋常ではない。

There seems to be no end to abuse of authority and corruption among party members going after the spoils of economic growth. While disputes over back pay and land expropriation are rife, the country's dysfunctional judicial and administrative systems are unable to deal with them effectively.
　経済成長に伴う利権をめぐり、党員による権力の乱用や腐敗が絶えない。賃金不払いや土地収用をめぐる紛争が頻発しているが、司法や行政は十分に機能しない。

The situation has led to violent clashes.
国民の不満は、各地で当局との衝突を生んでいる。

Ethnic disturbances in the Xinjang Uighur Autonomous Region and the Tibet Autonomous Region are showing no signs of subsiding. The response by Chinese authorities was only to crack down harder on ethnic protests in these regions under the pretext of defense against terrorism.
　新疆ウイグル自治区やチベット自治区では、民族紛争が収まりそうもない。テロへの警戒だとして、当局の締め付けは強まるばかりだ。

China's National Day celebrations took place in an unsettled context. The government shut out the general public from the celebration ceremony and strictly limited public access to buildings and hotels near the ceremony site. The strict security reflects deepening contradictions in Chinese society.
　穏やかならぬ状況で迎えた建国記念日である。当局は祝賀行事から一般市民を締め出し、会場周辺のビルやホテルも立ち入りが厳しく制限された。厳戒のなかでの祝賀は、中国社会の深まる矛盾を映し出している。

What China should make clear to audiences both at home and abroad is that it is governed by the rule of law and seeks to create a harmonious society where people are valued. China will become a country that can share with its neighbors a convincing vision for an East Asian Community if it makes progress in that direction.
　中国が内外に示すべきなのは法治であり、人々が大切にされる調和のとれた社会である。その方向への脱皮の努力があってこそ、東アジア共同体の夢をともに語れる国になるに違いない。