徐若杰
By Xu Ruojie
日前，日本首相岸田文雄与到访的北约秘书长斯托尔滕贝格举行会谈，双方表示将加强合作，这标志着日本与北约战略合作关系升级进入新阶段。有分析人士指出，日本与北约的勾连靠拢，将在亚太地区产生阵营对抗、制造分裂的风险，应当引起地区国家的高度警惕。
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the visiting NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in their recent meeting that the two sides will work more closely together, marking a new stage of the escalated strategic collaboration between the two sides. Analysts said the two parties’ collusion will risk creating bloc confrontation and division in the Asia Pacific and merits high vigilance of regional countries.
在此次日本和北约发布的联合声明中，强化在亚洲的所谓安全合作，被视作双方战略合作的核心内容。这份声明不仅宣示了双方共同的威胁认知，即“世界正面对自第二次世界大战结束以来最为严峻和复杂的安全环境”，同时还极力渲染所谓中国“军事威胁”，把寻求对华对俄双遏制列为日本和北约安全合作的核心议题。此外，声明还规划了未来双方合作的重点领域，包括海上安全、军备控制、网络空间和打击虚假信息等。
The joint statement released after the meeting underscored the so-called security cooperation in Asia as a key part of Japan-NATO strategic cooperation. It not only announced the two sides’ agreed perception of threats, namely “the world is at a historical inflection point in the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II”, but also went to great lengths to exaggerate the so-called military threats from China and put containing China and Russia high on the agenda of the Japan-NATO security cooperation. The statement also pinpointed the key areas of their future cooperation, including maritime security, arms control, cyberspace, and combat disinformation.
近年来，日本与北约的勾连程度不断加深。乌克兰危机爆发后，日本紧随西方向乌克兰提供军用物资，对俄罗斯实施制裁，得到北约“高度赞赏”。去年6月，日本首相首次受邀参加北约峰会。同年11月，日本正式加入北约合作网络防御卓越中心，成为继韩国之后第二个加入该组织的亚洲国家。此次斯托尔滕贝格访日，再度引发国际社会的关注。
Japan and NATO have colluded more intensely in recent years. After the Ukraine crisis broke out, Japan quickly provided Ukraine with military supplies and sanctioned Russia following in the West’s steps, winning NATO’s high appreciation. Last June, the Japanese Prime Minister was invited to attend the NATO summit for the first time; in November, Japan became the second Asian country after the ROK to officially join the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence. Stoltenberg’s recent Japan visit has once again captured international attention.
日本与北约的一唱一和，看似亲密，实则都有着各自的盘算。冷战结束后，北约一直致力于转型和东扩，不断将触角伸向亚太地区，试图打造“亚太版北约”。作为美国亚太同盟体系中的重要一员，日本在北约的亚太战略中扮演着极其重要的角色。鉴于当前亚太在国际事务中的影响不断提升，北约不断向日本走近靠拢，看似是为日本“站脚助威”，实则是便于自己随时插手亚太事务。
But under the seeming intimacy are their own axes to be grinded. After the Cold War ended, NATO has been committed to its transformation and eastward expansion and extended its antenna to the Asia Pacific to create a mini-Asian-Pacific version of itself. As an important member of America’s Asian-Pacific alliance system, Japan plays a critical part in NATO’s regional strategy. Therefore, in light of the rising influence of the region on the international stage, the organization has been approaching Japan to pave the way for meddling in regional affairs anytime, under the disguise of “rooting for Japan”.
对于日本而言，把北约“拖入”亚洲，同样有其考量。一些日本政客认为，此举不仅有利于提升日本国际地位，获得美西方的支持，同时也能借助北约提升自身军事能力。在安保政策方面，日本过去一年动作频频。特别是去年年底日本政府通过3份安保政策文件，声称日本将致力于拥有所谓反击能力，引起周边国家高度关注。而斯托尔滕贝格在访日期间，对日本安保政策转向表示欢迎，这无疑给了日本加速扩张军力的底气。
On its part, Japan also has its calculations for bringing NATO into Asia. Some Japanese politicians believed that would uplift the country’s international status and gain support from the US and the West while also enhancing its military capacities. Tokyo rolled out a string of security policies last year, with the three ones passed at the end of 2022, which vowed to develop the so-called counterattack capabilities, drawing close attention from surrounding countries. During his visit, the NATO chief’s welcome of the shift in Japan’s security policies doubtlessly gave the latter more confidence to accelerate its military buildup.
回顾历史不难发现，尽管北约始终声称自己是一个集体防御组织，但其战略触角所至之处，往往会有冲突与动荡发生。当前日本和北约勾连升级，尤其是双方带有强烈冷战思维的战略规划，势必会搅乱亚太秩序，使其向着集团化对抗的方向发展，国际社会需要高度警惕。
A look back on history would easily show that although NATO claims to be a collective defense organization, there is always conflict and turmoil wherever it reaches out its strategic antenna to. Its current escalated collusion with Japan, especially the strategic plans of the two heavily charged with a Cold War mindset, is bound to roil the Asian Pacific region and push it toward bloc confrontation, a tendency the international community should be highly alert against.
（作者单位：中国社会科学院欧洲研究所）
(The author is from the Institute of European Studies of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)
