中国驻美大使就美舰闯南海舌战CNN主播

On October 27, 2015, Ambassador Cui Tiankai had an interview with Ms. Christiane Amanpour, host of CNN'S AMANPOUR on an U.S. warship's entry into waters near relevant islands and reefs of China's Nansha Islands.
10月27日，中国驻美国大使崔天凯接受美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）阿曼普栏目采访，就美国军舰进入中国南沙群岛有关岛礁邻近海域阐明了中方严正立场。

The following is the full transcript of the interview:
采访实录如下：

AMANPOUR: Can I ask you, the United States, the State Department has said that whatever is happening right now in the South China Sea should not jeopardize the healthy relationship between Beijing and the United States. Do you agree that this will not jeopardize the relationship?
阿曼普：美国国务院称，无论南海发生什么，都不应该损害中美关系健康发展。你是否同意这不会对中美关系造成影响？

CUI: Well, first of all, I think that what the U.S. is doing is a very serious provocation, politically and militarily. It is a clear attempt to escalate the situation and to militarize the region. So we are very concerned about that. I think that other people, all of the people who want to maintain stability there have good reason to be concerned. And I do hope that we will work together to maintain this relationship, to keep this relationship healthy and moving forward.
崔天凯：美方派军舰进入中国南沙群岛相关岛礁邻近海域的行为显然是严重的政治和军事挑衅，是试图使地区局势军事化和紧张升级的行为。中方对此表示严重关切。我相信，所有希望本地区稳定的人们都有理由对此感到关切。同时，我们希望中美双方共同努力，使中美关系健康向前发展。

AMANPOUR: Ambassador, there's obviously been a -- I hate to say it but a war of words between both capitals in the last 24 hours. The U.S. Defense Secretary says that they will continue to fly and sail and do whatever they want in that region, because it is international waters and they are supported by all their allies; whereas, from Beijing, the foreign ministry has said, and I quote, that "if the U.S. continues to create tensions," then Beijing might conclude it has to increase and strengthen the building up of our relevant abilities. What does that mean?
阿曼普：在过去24小时，美中两国首都之间上演了“口水战”。美国防部长称，美方舰机将继续驶入或飞越有关海域，因为有关海域是“国际水域”，并且美方行动得到了地区盟友的支持。但中国外交部表示，如果美方“一再制造紧张”，中方将不得不得出这样一个结论，那就是中方确实有必要加强、加快相关能力建设。那意味着什么？

CUI: Well, it is a very absurd and even hypocritical position to ask others not to militarize the region while oneself is sending military vessels there so frequently. So I think the people do have to think about it in a very serious way and we have to think about it. We have to make sure that we have sufficient means to safeguard our sovereignty there, to protect our lawful rights there and we have sufficient means to maintain peace and stability there. And nobody would have any more illusion that they could continue to provoke.
崔天凯：美方的立场是荒谬而且虚伪的。一方面要求别人不要使地区局势军事化，另一方面自己却如此频繁地派军舰前往这一地区。人们不禁会思考，中方也要认真考虑，确保我们有足够的手段来维护自身在南海的主权、合法权益以及地区和平稳定。无论谁都不应对继续挑衅抱有任何幻想。

AMANPOUR: But what precisely do you think that means, sir, if the United States says that it is going to continue to do what it has, it claims the right under international law to do?
阿曼普：如果美方继续在其认为的国际法所允许的“国际水域”活动，中方会作何反应？

CUI: I think that this is done in total disregard of international law. If we look at the convention of the law of the sea -- and, by the way, the United States is not yet a party to that Convention. But if we are looking at the provisions of the Convention, there are very, very clear provisions about safety of navigation, freedom of navigation or innocent transit. What the U.S. is doing is totally against the provisions, the letter and spirit of the Convention.
崔天凯：美方的行为恰恰是罔顾国际法。美国至今未加入《联合国海洋法公约》。《公约》有关条款对正常的航行和飞越自由、安全和无害通过都有非常明确的规定，美方所做所为明显与之相违背。

AMANPOUR: Ambassador, the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea that you mention basically says that 12 nautical mile limits cannot be set around man-made islands which are built on previously submerged reefs, which is, in fact, what China has done, built up reefs and called them islands and claimed them as territory. You know, is there not a way that there can be some political resolution of this with the United States and with allies around that region?
阿曼普：大使先生，你所说的《联合国海洋法公约》规定，在高潮时被淹没的岛礁上建造的人工岛屿不能主张12海里领海，而中国正是这样做的，将这些淹没在水下的礁石改造成岛并主张领海。那么中方同美国在该地区的盟友能够通过政治手段解决有关争议吗？

CUI: We have longstanding sovereignty over the islands in the region and the waters surrounding them. It is not something based on any so-called man-made facilities there or feature there.
崔天凯：中国对南沙群岛及其附近海域拥有无可争辩的主权。中国在南海的主权和相关权利是在长期的历史过程中形成的，而非岛礁建设后才有的。

AMANPOUR: Except for that they are submerged reefs and certainly Admiral Blair, Dennis Blair told us that you can't really form policy today based on very old and outdated maps of many, many years ago. And he also said that China seems to be isolating itself, given that all the regional countries are also supporting the United States, because they, too, have territorial and maritime disputes with you and they want to see these waters kept open.
阿曼普：但那些礁石的确是高潮时就会被淹没。前美军太平洋总部司令丹尼斯•布莱尔称，中方不能依据早已过时的、很多年以前的地图制定政策。同时，本地区同中国有海洋权益争议的国家都支持美方的行动，并希望有关水域保持开放。中方正在使自身孤立。你对此有何评论？

CUI: Well,you can not say that because people have a longstanding position on something, positions that originated many, many years ago can no longer be valid today. You cannot say things like that. Of course, if we go back many, many years ago, there was no United States.
崔天凯：不能说某种权利是很多年以前形成的，现在就无效了。很多年前，美国这个国家也还不存在。

AMANPOUR: Ambassador Cui, but there is a United States now and it is a superpower and the president of China just visited Washington and there seemed to be a fairly warm environment. The fact that this is happening so quickly after that visit, what does it say about the relationship? And what do you think is going to happen next? What, in your mind, in Beijing's mind, is the solution to what's happening?
阿曼普：大使先生，现在美国存在了，而且还是超级大国。中国国家主席刚刚访问过华盛顿，访问气氛似乎也很热烈。但访问刚过就发生了这件事。访问期间两国元首就双边关系说了什么？你认为接下来会发生什么？你个人以及北京认为应该如何解决当前的事态？

CUI: I think that you have just asked a very good question and I hope the White House will give you the answer. We are also puzzled. We are very concerned about this latest development. But whatever is happening now, will not change our position on the sovereignty in the region, will not weaken our determination to safeguard our sovereignty, will not weaken our commitment to seek a peaceful solution to the disputes with the countries concerned, and certainly will not weaken our position and commitment to developing a healthy and strong relationship with the United States but we see it as two-way traffic. We have to have a reciprocal action from the United States.
崔天凯：这是个好问题，我希望白宫能给你答案。我们有疑问，也很关注事态发展。但无论发生什么，都不会动摇我们在南海的主权权益，不会动摇我们维护自身主权的坚定意志，不会动摇我们同有关直接当事方和平解决争议的努力，也不会动摇我们与美国发展健康有力双边关系的决心。但是这样一种关系需要双方努力，希望美方与中方相向而行。

AMANPOUR: Well, President Xi last month told President Obama that China is not militarizing the islands but the United States says that its surveillance shows that there is artillery there.So how can you prove that this is just peaceful?
阿曼普：习近平主席上月在访美期间告诉奥巴马总统，中国无意对这些岛礁军事化。但美方称侦察显示有关岛礁上部署了火炮，你怎么证明这是和平的呢？

CUI: Well, I think that the fact is so clear. Who is sending military vessels there? Who is sending the military planes there? It's not us. It's the United States.
崔天凯：事实很清楚。谁在向那里派军舰？谁在向那里派军机？并不是我们，而是美国。

（文字来源:中国驻美大使馆官网，编辑：Helen）