中國成爲北極理事會觀察員國

The Arctic Council granted observer status to six nations, including China, cementing its Move from an obscure, mainly research-focused, body to a sought-after club whose members hope to shape growing prospects for resource development and trade.

北極理事會(Arctic Council)向中國等六個國家授予了觀察員國身份，這鞏固了該理事會從一個默默無聞、主要專注於科研的機構向一個受到追捧的國家集團轉型的步伐，而這個國家集團的成員則希望爲資源開發和貿易創造更多前景。

Underscoring the increased business interest in the region, the council's final declaration talked of 'the central role of business in the development of the Arctic.'

北極理事會最後宣佈決定時提到了商業在北極的開發中扮演的核心角色，這凸顯了該地區對商業的興趣已經越來越濃厚。

The decision Wednesday came after late-night discussions that began Tuesday in Kiruna, northern Sweden, between eight ministers of the Arctic Council's member states, including Secretary of State John Kerry.

週三宣佈上述決定之前，在瑞典北部的基律納(Kiruna)，北極理事會成員國的八名部長級官員從週二開始討論，直至深夜，其中包括美國國務卿克里(John Kerry)。

China's accession as observer -- along with India, Singapore, Italy, Japan and South Korea -- comes after Beijing aggressively lobbied the body's Nordic members who went on to champion its cause in the council.

中國與印度、新加坡、意大利、日本和韓國一道成爲觀察員國。此前，中國政府積極地對該組織的北歐成員國進行了遊說，這些國家後來支持了中國的申請。

'This is exactly what we hoped for,' said Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide in a phone interview, adding that expansion makes the council 'a lot more relevant to the whole world.'

挪威外交大臣艾德(Espen Barth Eide)在接受電話採訪時說，這正是我們所希望的。他補充說，理事會的擴大能夠增加其在整個世界的影響力。

Among the permanent members -- the U.S., Russia, Canada, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark -- the Nordic countries represent a view that allowing in more participants could bolster the forum's clout on such issues as natural resources and climate change in the region. Canada, which now takes over the chairmanship of the council from Sweden, had expressed caution, arguing expanding the council could complicate its work and reduce the focus on indigenous populations.

北極理事會的成員包括美國、俄羅斯、加拿大、挪威、芬蘭、冰島、瑞典和丹麥。其中，北歐國家普遍的觀點是，允許更多參與者可能會增加論壇在該地區自然資源和氣候變化等問題上的影響力。剛剛從瑞典獲得理事會主席國位置的加拿大表達了謹慎態度，加拿大認爲，理事會的擴大可能會使工作複雜化，削弱對本土人口的關注。

U.S. officials had arrived in Sweden saying that they were comfortable with expansion. One Russian media report, however, said Moscow wasn't eager to expand the club. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman declined to comment earlier in the week.

美國官員已經抵達瑞典，他們說，對理事會擴大規模表示接受。不過，俄羅斯的一家媒體報道說，俄羅斯並不急於擴大這個俱樂部。俄羅斯外交部的一名發言人本週早些時候拒絕置評。

Mr. Barth Eide said one country expressed concern about the addition of new observers, but declined to disclose which one.

艾德說，有一個國家表達了對增加新觀察員的擔憂，但是拒絕透露是哪個國家。

Canada rejected the European Union's application for observer status due to a long-running dispute over seal hunting and a ban by Brussels's of seal products, such as hide.

加拿大拒絕支持歐盟對觀察員身份的申請，原因涉及一個與海豹獵殺有關的長期爭議，以及布魯塞爾對海豹皮等海豹產品的禁令。

China, which has taken its thirst for resources to feed its economic expansion to the far corners of the globe, in April signed a free-trade deal with Iceland and has also invested in Greenland.

爲了滿足經濟擴張引發的能源需求，中國已經來到了地球上最偏遠的角落，中國4月份與冰島簽署了自由貿易協議，並在格陵蘭島也有投資。

Gao Feng, head of the Chinese delegation in Kiruna, told China's official Xinhua news agency that the council's decision to grant it observer status was a 'right and wise' move. 'China will first get to know the Arctic better, and then it is able to join effectively international cooperation,' Mr. Gao said, according to Xinhua.

在基律納的中國代表團團長高風對中國官方媒體新華社說，理事會作出了一個正確而明智的決定，中國先要更好地瞭解北極，然後就能有效地參與國際合作。

Founded in 1996 as a body to coordinate Arctic policy, the council was for many years seen as a platform for scientists to swap research. More recently, it has gained prominence amid expectations that melting ice will clear the way for more resource development, including of vast offshore oil reserves, and free up more trade routes.

作爲北極政策協調機構的北極理事會於1996年成立，多年以來，北極理事會被看做一個科學家們科研交流的平臺。該機構最近獲得了極大的關注，因爲各國期待，冰層的融化將爲更多資源的開發掃清障礙──包括大量海上石油儲備，並提供更多貿易路線。

Observers to the Arctic Council mainly get to attend meetings and don't have a central role when it comes to decision making within the l, according to Swedish Arctic Council Chairman Gustaf Lind, the applicants have many interests in joining the council as observers.

北極理事會的觀察員基本上只能參加會議，在理事會的決策中不扮演核心角色。瑞典北極理事會主席林德(Gustaf Lind)說，儘管如此，對申請國來說，作爲觀察員加入理事會有很多利益考量。