Canada has set out a plan to boost military spending by 73 per cent in response to pressure from the US for allies to hike defence outlays and concerns that US President Donald Trump is steering his country away from its decades-old role as leader on the global stage.
加拿大制定了将军费开支提高73%的计划，这是为了回应美国要求盟国增加防务开支的压力、以及美总统唐纳德特朗普(Donald Trump)引领美国告别数十年来在世界舞台上扮演的领导角色所引发的担忧。
Defence minister Harjit Sajjan, unveiling a new 20-year defence policy on Wednesday, said Canada’s overall defence budget will rise to $24.2bn by 2026-27 from $14bn now.
周三，加拿大国防部长石俊（Harjit Sajjan，上图）在宣布一项新的20年国防政策时表示，到2026-27年度时，加拿大总体国防预算将从目前的140亿美元升至242亿美元。
“If we’re serious about our role in the world, we must be serious about funding our military,” said Mr Sajjan. “And we are.”
“如果我们真的在意我们在世界上的角色，我们就必须严肃对待军费这件事，”石俊说，“我们真的在意。”
The increases would take Canada’s defence spending to 1.4 per cent of GDP by 2024-25, he said, nearer the 2 per cent goal set for Nato members and for which Mr Trump is pushing hard as he pursues his aim for greater “burden-sharing” among allies.
石俊说，提高军费后，到2024-25年度加拿大国防开支与国内生产总值(GDP)之比将达到1.4%，更为接近北约(Nato)为成员国设定的2%的目标。特朗普正大力敦促北约成员国达标，他的目标是各盟国间应该更多地“分担责任”，目前他正致力于此。
Canada’s foreign minister Chrystia Freeland had framed greater investment in security as part of a need “to set our own clear and sovereign course” in a speech on Tuesday, but critics instead described it as an attempt to appease the US.
在周二的一场演讲中，加拿大外长方慧兰(Chrystia Freeland)提出扩大安全方面的投资，因为有必要“设定我们自己清晰、独立自主的行进路线”。但批评人士却把此举描述为一种取悦美国的努力。
“This is a total capitulation to the bullying of President Donald Trump,” said Peggy Mason, Canada’s former ambassador for disarmament and president of the Rideau Institute in Ottawa. “The Trudeau liberals did not campaign on, and in my view have no mandate for, these increases and there’s been no change in security to justify such astronomical increases. The only thing that’s changed is Donald Trump has been elected.”
“这是对唐纳德特朗普总统欺凌行为的全面投降，”加拿大前裁军大使、渥太华里多研究所(Rideau Institute)所长佩吉梅森(Peggy Mason)说，“以特鲁多(Trudeau)为首的自由党人并没有倡议增加军费，而且在我看来他们也无权增加，安全形势也并未出现什么能够证明应当如此大幅提高军费的改变。唯一改变的事情就是唐纳德特朗普当选了。”
Ms Freeland had said that Canada needed to step up as the US questions “the very worth of its mantle of global leadership”.
方慧兰表示，在美国对“担当全球领导角色的价值”产生怀疑之际，加拿大需要出更大的力。
The US secretary for defence Jim Mattis said he was “heartened” by the new policy.
美国国防部长吉姆马蒂斯(Jim Mattis)表示，他对加拿大的新政策“感到鼓舞”。
Canada is the sixth-highest spender in Nato and 16th in the world, according to the StockholmInternational Peace Research Institute. Canada is a frequent contributor to overseas coalitions,including the war in Afghanistan as well as UN peacekeeping missions.
斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所(SIPRI)数据显示，加拿大军费开支在北约排第6，在全球排第16。加拿大多次参与海外联合军事行动，包括阿富汗战争和联合国维和行动。
Military experts say some of the plans, which include buying 15 new warships, 88 new fighterjets and recruiting 5,000 new troops, are long overdue.
军事专家表示，其中一些计划——包括采购15艘新战舰、88架新战斗机和招募5000名新兵——早就应该实施了。
Walter Dorn, professor at the Royal Military College of Canada and Canadian Forces College,said Ottawa had repeatedly postponed upgrading and replacing its fleet of helicopters, shipsand other equipment for nearly 25 years.
加拿大皇家军事学院(Royal Military College of Canada)、加拿大部队学院(Canadian Forces College)教授沃尔特多恩(Walter Dorn)表示，将近25年来，加拿大政府已多次推迟升级和更新其直升机编队、舰艇及其他装备。
