By Zhang Yifan

张一帆

After Adm. Phil Davidson, Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), recently submitted to Congress a written report asking for more money for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, he has soon come under the international spotlight. After that, he has been on a video-based talk with the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank, and participated in a hearing at the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), where he went to great lengths to hype the so-called "China threat" by describing the country as "the greatest long-term strategic threat to security in the 21st century". His remarks have been making headlines all over the world.

近期以来，自从美军印太司令部司令戴维森海军上将向美国会递交了要求明年继续加强对“太平洋威慑倡议”拨款的书面报告后，戴维森迅速成为国际焦点。此后，他相继与美智库企业研究所进行视频对话、参加美参院武装部队委员会听证会，大肆宣扬炒作“中国威胁”，把中国描述成美“21世纪头号对手”，吸引全球媒体持续报道、解读。

As the USINDOPACOM commander appointed by the Trump administration, Davidson has been "faithfully" fulfilling his three "missions" – to fabricate and spread the so-called "China threat" theory, plan anti-China policies, and execute actions to deter and contain China. He has been spearheading the implementation of Washington's anti-China policies.

戴维森作为特朗普政府选拔任用的印太司令部司令，“忠实”履行着“中国威胁论的炮制宣扬者”“制华遏华政策的规划者”和“慑华堵华行动的执行者”三重“任务使命”，始终处于执行美对华对抗政策的最前沿。

It should be noted that the commander's propaganda of "military threats from China" is largely driven by interests rather than perception, much fewer facts, as he needs an excuse for his military expansion and war-preparing actions in order to secure fund from Congress.

值得注意的是，美军印太司令部司令宣扬“中国军事威胁论”在很大程度上并不是从真正认知出发，而是从利益出发，就是要为自己的扩军备战寻找“靶标”，以便从国会获取资金资源。

"Guam is a target today. It needs to be defended." When trying to convince Congress how Guam has become targeted by China and needs protection from the Aegis Ashore system, Davidson was actually lobbying for resources for the missile defense system. Moreover, as the US Marine Corps' plan for developing anti-ship missiles was rejected last year, he claimed at the recent senate hearing that the Marine Corps needs to have land-based anti-ship assault capability to cope with the threats from Chinese navy.

此次戴维森在国会大力宣讲关岛已成为中国军队打击目标，需要陆基“宙斯盾”系统保护，实际上是在为在关岛部署“宙斯盾”系统摇旗呐喊，索要资源。此外，美海军陆战队准备发展反舰导弹，但去年被否决。戴维森此次在听证会上宣称应对中国海军构成的威胁，需要海军陆战队拥有陆基反舰打击能力。

The area under USINDOPACOM's mandate totals more than 270 million square kilometers spanning from Africa's eastern coast to America's western coast, and from the Bering Strait in the north to the Antarctica in the South. How to maintain America's military alliance in the Indo-Pacific region and handle its military relations with regional countries are what the USINDOPACOM commander needs to think about.

从美军印太司令部的辖区来看，西起非洲东海岸、东至美国西海岸、北起白令海峡、南至南极大陆，总面积达2.7亿多平方公里，如何维护美国在印太地区的军事同盟、处理与地区大国的军事关系，是美军印太司令部司令所必须考虑的问题。

The USINDOPACOM is a critical agency whose every move bears heavily on America's military strategy and national security strategy. The strategic decision makers are open to opinions from its commander, and Congress often requires its presence at hearings on Indo-Pacific issues. It's safe to say that the commander's opinions largely affect or shape Washington's policy on the Indo-Pacific region, particularly China.

美印太司令部所处位置关键，一举一动牵动着美国军事战略和国家安全战略的神经，美国的战略决策部门在制定政策时十分愿意听取美印太司令部司令的意见，美国会也经常就印太地区问题要求美印太司令部参加听证会。可以说，美印太司令部司令的意见在很大程度上影响或塑造着美国对印太地区的政策，特别是对华政策。

Unfortunately, USINDOPACOM commanders have become increasingly rigid and stiff in recent years due to Washington's consistent anti-China stance. Instead of thinking about how to promote the military exchanges between the US and China, they are focused on how to deepen the military confrontation with China to maintain America's military superiority.

但遗憾的是，从近些年来美印太司令部司令的实际表现看，受美国政府与华对抗政策影响，已经表现得越来越机械、越来越僵硬。参与的规划任务不再是聚焦如何推进美中军事交流，而是关注如何深化对华军事对抗，确保美保持军事优势。

That's why the USINDOPACOM, the theater command facing China directly, has always been a vanguard in containing and blocking China on the military front. In recent years, American military ships have constantly challenged China's sovereignty in the South China Sea by carrying out the so-called "freedom of navigation operations" and passing relevant islands and reefs. They have flamed tension across the Taiwan Strait by crossing it; they have imposed deterrence and pressure on China by conducting various exercises and training, including the twin-carrier exercise, in waters around China. Moreover, various US reconnaissance planes have been constantly sent to air space around China to pry into its military movements. All these moves have been planned and commanded by USINDOPACOM.

因此,作为与中国正面相向的战区，印太司令部一直充当着对华军事遏制和军事封堵的“急先锋”。近年来，美军舰执行所谓“航行自由行动”、冲闯岛礁，在南海海域挑战中国主权；过航台湾海峡、在两岸制造紧张形势；美军舰机在我周边海域大搞“双航母”演练等各类演训活动、对华实施威慑施压；美军各类侦察机在中国周边空域频繁搞“小动作”、刺探中国军事情况等，所有这些行动都在美印太司令部的策划与指挥下实施。

Davidson is about to retire and be replaced by John Aquilino, who has been serving as the commander of the US Pacific Fleet since May 2018. Ever since Aquilino assumed that role, the vessels and planes of the Pacific Fleet have performed the most rampant activities in sea areas around China. Aquilino was appointed by Trump, to which Biden didn't object, largely because of his hardball approach toward China.

戴维森的任职期限已到，准备退役。即将接任美军印太司令部的新司令阿奎利诺2018年5月出任太平洋舰队司令，而过去3年是太平洋舰队所属舰机在中国周边海域活动最猖獗的时期。阿奎利诺最初是由特朗普提名，拜登只是未反对而已。他之所以被选中，在很大程度上是因为他对华立场强硬。

Editor's note: This article is originally published on huanqiu.com, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.

编者按:本文最初发表于环球网，由中国军网编译。本文中出现的信息、看法或观点不代表中国军网的观点。