加拿大擬將軍費開支提高73%

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.

加拿大制定了將軍費開支提高73%的計劃，這是爲了迴應美國要求盟國增加防務開支的壓力、以及美總統唐納德特朗普(Donald Trump)引領美國告別數十年來在世界舞臺上扮演的領導角色所引發的擔憂。

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.

週三，加拿大國防部長石俊（Harjit Sajjan，上圖）在宣佈一項新的20年國防政策時表示，到2026-27年度時，加拿大總體國防預算將從目前的140億美元升至242億美元。

“If we’re serious about our role in the world, we must be serious about funding our military,” said Mr Sajjan. “And we are.”

“如果我們真的在意我們在世界上的角色，我們就必須嚴肅對待軍費這件事，”石俊說，“我們真的在意。”

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.

石俊說，提高軍費後，到2024-25年度加拿大國防開支與國內生產總值(GDP)之比將達到1.4%，更爲接近北約(Nato)爲成員國設定的2%的目標。特朗普正大力敦促北約成員國達標，他的目標是各盟國間應該更多地“分擔責任”，目前他正致力於此。

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.

在週二的一場演講中，加拿大外長方慧蘭(Chrystia Freeland)提出擴大安全方面的投資，因爲有必要“設定我們自己清晰、獨立自主的行進路線”。但批評人士卻把此舉描述爲一種取悅美國的努力。

“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.”

“這是對唐納德特朗普總統欺凌行爲的全面投降，”加拿大前裁軍大使、渥太華里多研究所(Rideau Institute)所長佩吉梅森(Peggy Mason)說，“以特魯多(Trudeau)爲首的自由黨人並沒有倡議增加軍費，而且在我看來他們也無權增加，安全形勢也並未出現什麼能夠證明應當如此大幅提高軍費的改變。唯一改變的事情就是唐納德特朗普當選了。”

Ms Freeland had said that Canada needed to step up as the US questions “the very worth of its mantle of global leadership”.

方慧蘭表示，在美國對“擔當全球領導角色的價值”產生懷疑之際，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.

美國國防部長吉姆馬蒂斯(Jim Mattis)表示，他對加拿大的新政策“感到鼓舞”。

Canada is the sixth-highest spender in Nato and 16th in the world, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Canada is a frequent contributor to overseas coalitions, including the war in Afghanistan as well as UN peacekeeping missions.

斯德哥爾摩國際和平研究所(SIPRI)數據顯示，加拿大軍費開支在北約排第6，在全球排第16。加拿大多次參與海外聯合軍事行動，包括阿富汗戰爭和聯合國維和行動。

Military experts say some of the plans, which include buying 15 new warships, 88 new fighter jets and recruiting 5,000 new troops, are long overdue.

軍事專家表示，其中一些計劃——包括採購15艘新戰艦、88架新戰鬥機和招募5000名新兵——早就應該實施了。

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, ships and other equipment for nearly 25 years.

加拿大皇家軍事學院(Royal Military College of Canada)、加拿大部隊學院(Canadian Forces College)教授沃爾特多恩(Walter Dorn)表示，將近25年來，加拿大政府已多次推遲升級和更新其直升機編隊、艦艇及其他裝備。