10-18-2005

美防长质疑中国增加国防开支动机 (U.S. Defense Secretary Questions China's Motives Behind Increased Military Spending)

美国国防部长拉姆斯菲尔德对中国明显加大军费预算背后的动机提出置疑，但是他也吁请北京在全球安全事务中发挥更大的作用。拉姆斯菲尔德星期二抵达北京，将会见中国高层领导人并参观一些军事设施。

拉姆斯菲尔德在抵达北京之前表示，一些国家不理解为什么北京看来在增加国防开支而又不承认。他的这番话没有他在6月份时发表的评论那么锋芒毕露。当时他说，中国增强军事开支会威胁亚洲安全的平衡。

中国否认加强军备的指称，说预算增加是为了改进军人的生活待遇。五角大楼估计，中国今年的军费开支可能为900亿美元，是中国公布数字的将近三倍。

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has questioned China's motives behind its apparently increased military budget, but he has also invited Beijing to play a larger role in global security. Rumsfeld arrived in Beijing Tuesday, for meetings with top leaders and tours of military facilities.

Before arriving, Rumsfeld said some countries wonder why China seems to be increasing defense spending without acknowledging it. The remark was less confrontational than his comment in June that Beijing's military spending increase could threaten the balance of security in Asia.

China has dismissed the allegations of a military buildup, saying the budget increase was for improving living conditions of military personnel. The Pentagon estimates China is spending 90-billion dollars on defense this year --- nearly three times what China disclosed.

欧盟称禽流感是“全球威胁” (EU Calls Bird Flu 'Global Threat')

欧盟各国外交部长说，禽流感是一个全球威胁，需要广泛的国际合作来控制。希腊星期一成为报告发现禽流感病例的第一个欧盟国家，在爱琴海一个小岛的一只火鸡体内发现这种病毒。

罗马尼亚官员星期二说，在靠近乌克兰边境的地方发现一只天鹅体内有禽流感抗体。目前还不知道这种病毒是不是致命的H5N1病毒。2003年以来，H5N1病毒在亚洲地区导致60多人死亡。俄罗斯、土耳其和保加利亚也在禽类体内发现了这种病毒。

同时，生产用于治疗人类禽流感的“达菲”疫苗(TAMIFLU)的瑞士罗氏(Roche)公司说，它正在增加产量，并将开始允许其他公司或政府生产这种疫苗。

European Union foreign ministers say bird flu is a global threat requiring broad international cooperation to contain. Greece on Monday became the first EU country to report a case of bird flu, in a turkey on an Aegean island.

Romanian officials said Tuesday that bird flu antibodies have been detected in a swan near the Ukraine border. It is not known if either of the new cases is the H5N1strain of avian influenza that has killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003. The deadly strain also has been found in birds in Russia, Turkey and Bulgaria.

Meanwhile, the Swiss company (Roche) that makes the drug Tamiflu, used to treat bird flu in humans, said it is increasing production and will begin allowing other firms or governments to produce the drug as well.