Defensive arm now needs to be extended

When asked about reports that China is in talks with the Republic of Djibouti to have a military base in that country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs neither confirmed nor denied it.

当被问及中国同吉布提共和国讨论在该国建立军事基地的报道时，中国外交部对此不置可否。

Citing traditional friendship, present practical cooperation and shared commitments, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson merely said China is willing and obliged to contribute more to regional peace and stability.

外交部发言人谈到了传统友谊，展示了务实合作以及共同承诺，表示中国愿意并有必要为区域和平与稳定做贡献。

She stopped short of clarifying in what manner. Intended or not, this has been interpreted as tacit acknowledgement.

但她没有明确说要以何种方式。不管刻意与否，这都被解读为默认。

For decades, people had been accustomed to China highlighting its peaceful development path by pointing out that it does not have a single soldier stationed overseas. But that argument has turned out to be intrinsically flawed and self-constraining.

几十年来，人们已经习惯中国强调的和平发展道路，并没有任何军队驻扎在海外。但这一观点已经从本质上被证明是不正确并且是自我约束的。

Had we had proper facilities nearby, our naval vessels on anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden would not have had to suspend regular patrols only to withdraw Chinese nationals from war-torn Yemen.

如果附近有适当的设施，我们在亚丁湾执行反海盗任务的海军舰船，就不会仅仅因为要从战乱的也门撤回中国公民而推迟正常的巡逻任务。

No matter if a military base is being negotiated with Djibouti, this country has a pressing need to significantly upgrade its capabilities to properly take care of its interests overseas.

无论现在是否正和吉布提协商军事基地的问题，中国都迫切需要大幅提升能力以合理保障海外利益。

The latest Pentagon report on the Chinese military claims that China now has dozens of nuclear-capable missiles that can target almost any city in the US. Even if that is true, it is hardly problematic, because China is not targeting any country.

最近一份五角大楼的报告指出，中国军方声称拥有众多可携带核弹头的导弹可达大部分美国城市作为目标。即使报告属实，也很难构成威胁，因为中国没有将导弹瞄准任何国家。

China has been a regular presence in recent United Nations peacekeeping missions, including anti-piracy naval patrols in the Gulf of Aden. These are strictly intended to maintain peace.

中国一直定期参加最近联合国的维和行动，包括在亚丁湾的反海盗巡逻，这完全旨在维护和平。

One day when this country does open a military base overseas, the hullabaloo over a "China threat" will no doubt reach a crescendo. But that should not prevent us from safeguarding our rightful interests within the framework of international law.

毫无疑问，有一天中国在海外建立军事基地，“中国威胁论”定会甚嚣尘上，但那不会阻止我们在国际法的框架下维护合法利益。

Then our military will have an additional opportunity to demonstrate its dedication to peace and show that its capabilities are combined with goodwill.

到那时，中国军队将有机会证明其致力于和平，并展示实力与友善。

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来源:China Daily 双语版爱语吧作者:孙梦光