迎接中国的挑战

This has set the stage for this week's meeting. It was an opportunity for Japan and India to further cement their bilateral ties while also discussing ways to coordinate security efforts with the U.S. While no major initiatives resulted (none were expected), there was some progress on joint naval exercises.

这一切为上周的会议布置了舞台。对于日本和印度来说，会议是进一步加强双边关系，同时讨论怎样同美国协调安全行动的一个机会。会谈没有产生重要的行动计划（本来也不在预料之中），但在联合海军演习方面取得了一定的进展。
  
Nor is this the only trilateral meeting on the horizon. There are growing calls for another initiative involving the U.S., Australia and India. There is a distinct convergence of interests among these three countries across of a range of issues including the security of global commons, maritime security and counterterrorism. Trilateral coordination would be the next logical step. 

放眼将来，这也不会是唯一的一场三边会谈。越来越多的人在呼吁美国、澳大利亚和印度举行三边会谈。这三个国家在一系列议题上有着独特的共同利益，这些议题包括全球公域安全、海上安全和反恐怖主义。三边协调将是理所当然的下一步。
  
The parties are closer than at any recent time to such an arrangement. Australia's Labor government last month reversed a decades-old ban on uranium sales to India. Australia and India are ramping up their defense ties with a joint approach in tackling piracy, increasing the number of port visits by their naval ships, and a more structured defense dialogue. This is a significant step in overcoming the longstanding neglect, on both sides, of Australia-India relations.

各方比近期任何时候都更加接近于实现这样一种安排。澳大利亚工党政府上个月解除了10年来对印度出口铀的禁令。通过联合反海盗、增加军舰到港访问数量，以及展开更有条理的防务对话，澳大利亚和印度正在加强它们之间的防务关系。这对于双方克服长期以来对澳印关系的忽视，都是重要的一步。
  
Meanwhile, Canberra is ramping up its own alliance-building. It has reinvigorated its longstanding alliance with the U.S. by agreeing last month to station 2,500 marines in a U.S. base in northern Australia, and has reached out to Japan for enhanced defense cooperation. It is therefore not surprising that Australia is interested in a U.S.-India-Australia trilateral initiative as it seeks out new partners in the region.

与此同时，堪培拉方面正在强化它自己的结盟行动。上个月，它同意美国在澳大利亚北部一处基地驻扎2,500名海军陆战队士兵，重振它与美国之间长期以来的同盟关系。另外，澳大利亚还向日本示好，希望加强防务合作。难怪澳大利亚在地区内寻找新合作伙伴的时候，产生了发起美-印-澳三边行动的兴趣。
  
All of this is a worry for China. Beijing has decried the 'Cold War mentality' it claims is evinced by such moves. With respect to a U.S.-Australia-India grouping, Canberra and New Delhi have been quick to publicly downplay the prospect for now, for fear of needlessly antagonizing Beijing. China remains a critical economic partner for all countries in the region. Clearly any trilateral meeting could not feature China as a chief agenda item. The more subtle path followed by this week's U.S.-Japan-India conference is more likely. 

这一切都让中国担忧。北京方面曾说这些动作体现的是一种“冷战思维”。在美-澳-印的结盟问题上，堪培拉和新德里方面目前在公开场合都是急于淡化其可能性，因为它们担心这样会没有必要地激怒北京。中国仍然是地区内所有国家至关重要的经济伙伴。显然，如果有三边会谈召开的话，都不能把中国列为最重要议题之一，而更有可能采用本周美-日-印会议那种更加低调的方式。
  
But there's no escaping China's own role in bringing about this security realignment. Beijing's expansive maritime sovereignty claims; its aggressive behavior pursuing them; its support for states such as North Korea and Pakistan; and its nontransparent military build-up all raise questions about its willingness to act as a responsible stakeholder in the region. Beijing will have to come to terms with more meetings such as this week's. 

但不可否认的是，中国在这种安全关系的重组过程中也发挥了它自己的作用。北京范围广泛的海洋主权主张、为了这些主张而采取的强硬行动、对朝鲜和巴基斯坦等国家的支持，以及不透明的军力建设，都使人对它是否愿意充当地区内负责任的利益相关者产生疑问。北京将需要慢慢接受更多本周这样的会议召开。