中国とフィリピンのスカボロー礁事件から考察する日本の安全保障の変遷

Abstract

2012年4月位於南海的黃岩島附近，發生中國海監船和菲律賓護衛艦對峙事件。此事件雖未演變成真正的軍事衝突，卻造成中菲兩國陷入緊張的狀態。長期以來，南海海域即存在著主權爭議的問題，一方面由於其蘊藏豐富的石油以及天然氣，同時此區域對東亞各國而言是非常重要的海上運輸線，更凸顯其戰略位置的重要性。據統計中國已成為世界第二軍事大國，隨著中國軍事力的崛起，東亞的地緣政治格局也產生重大的變化。2010年東亞區域發生了一連串的衝突事件，顯示東亞區域安全的不穩定。另外，美國總統歐巴馬提出「重返亞洲」的宣言，顯示美國的全球軍力部署重心的轉移。面對東亞區域安全的劇烈變化，位居東亞的另一個大國日本要如何對應將成為非常重要的課題。

A standoff between China Marine Surveillance vessels and a Philippine Navy frigate occurred near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea in April 2012. The incident did not escalate to military conflict, but it increased tensions between the two countries. There have been territorial disputes in the South China Sea for a long time. The sea has a strategic importance not only because of rich deposits of oil and natural gas, but also because it is an important sea lane for East Asian countries. Statistics show that China has become the world`s second largest military spender. The rise of China`s military power brought about a big change in geopolitical structure in East Asia. A string of incidents which occurred in East Asia in 2010 indicates that the security of the region is unstable. In addition, Obama`s `pivot to Asia` reveals that the USA will shift the focus of its military power to the Asia-Pacific region. This article will look at how Japan is responding to the dramatic changes occurring in the East Asian security environment.