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The US is embroiled in a spat about whaling with Japan that threatens its main trade initiative in Asia just as President Joe Biden prepares to host his Japanese and South Korean counterparts for a historic trilateral summit.
就在美國總統喬•拜登(Joe Biden)準備主持與日本和南韓領導人的歷史性三邊峯會之際，美國與日本捲入了有關捕鯨的口角，威脅到美國在亞洲的主要貿易倡議。
The US trade representative has been pushing Japan to accept anti-whaling language in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a 14-country trade deal Biden launched in Tokyo last year in an effort to counter China economically in Asia, according to eight people familiar with the situation.
據8名知情人士透露，美國貿易代表一直在推動日本接受《印太經濟框架》(IPEF)中反對捕鯨的措辭。這是去年拜登在東京發起的貿易協議，有14個國家參與，目的是在亞洲從經濟上對抗中國。
The US pressure has sparked anger in Tokyo, with some officials suggesting that Japan could walk away from an agreement that it backed to encourage American economic engagement in the region.
美國的壓力在東京引發了憤怒，一些官員暗示，日本可能會退出一項它支援的、鼓勵美國參與該地區經濟活動的協議。
One senior Japanese official said the issue was such a non-starter for Tokyo that the government didn’t even consider it as “an issue of contention”. He said Japan would not participate in IPEF if the agreement included any language banning whaling.
一名日本高級官員表示，這個問題對日本政府來說是不可能解決的，以至於政府甚至不認爲它是「一個有爭議的問題」。他說，如果協議包含任何禁止捕鯨的條款，日本將不會加入IPEF。
It has also exposed divisions in the US administration, with some officials opposing the approach taken by USTR, according to several sources.
據幾位訊息人士透露，這也暴露了美國政府內部的分歧，一些官員反對美國貿易代表辦公室(USTR)採取的這一做法。
The White House and USTR declined to comment. Noriyuki Shikata, spokesperson for the Japanese prime minister’s office, said Tokyo would refrain from commenting because negotiations were ongoing.
白宮和美國貿易代表辦公室拒絕置評。日本首相辦公室發言人四方敬之(Noriyuki Shikata)表示，由於談判仍在進行中，東京方面將不予置評。
One person familiar with the situation said the Biden administration planned to remove the provision because of Japan’s opposition.
一位知情人士說，由於日本的反對，拜登政府計劃取消這一條款。
Commercial whaling was banned by the International Whaling Commission in 1986. Japan previously got around the ban via a clause that allowed whales to be killed “for purposes of scientific research”, which sparked criticism from conservationists and other IWC members.
1986年，國際捕鯨委員會(International Whaling Commission)禁止商業捕鯨。先前，日本透過一項允許「以科學研究爲目的」捕殺鯨魚的條款，繞過了這項禁令，這引發了環保人士和其他國際捕鯨委員會成員的批評。
Japan pulled out of the IWC in 2019 and has since only allowed whales to be caught inside its exclusive economic zone. Its whaling industry has struggled to make a profit without subsidies for research, while public tastes have also changed.
日本於2019年退出國際捕鯨委員會，此後只允許在其專屬經濟區內捕鯨。日本捕鯨業在沒有研究補貼的情況下難以盈利，同時公衆的口味也發生了變化。
But the issue remains politically sensitive in Tokyo, which has led some US officials to argue that Washington should focus on making sure it finishes IPEF and avoid issues that threaten the deal.
但這個問題在東京方面仍具有政治敏感性，這導致一些美國官員辯稱，華盛頓方面應專注於確保完成IPEF，避免出現威脅該協議的問題。
Christopher Johnstone, a former US government Japan expert now at the CSIS think-tank, said the logic of including restrictions on whaling in the trade pillar of IPEF was “dubious at best”.
前美國政府日本問題專家、現供職於智庫戰略與國際研究中心(CSIS)的克里斯托弗•約翰斯通(Christopher Johnstone)表示，將限制捕鯨納入IPEF貿易支柱的邏輯「最多也就是值得懷疑的」。
“IPEF is already an initiative of questionable value, and most US partners, including Japan, are participating only because they are desperate for US economic engagement in the region,” said Johnstone. “Using IPEF to seek restrictions on whaling makes no sense and only serves to alienate Japan, the partner Washington needs more than any other if IPEF is to yield results.”
約翰斯通說：「IPEF的價值已經受到質疑，包括日本在內的大多數美國夥伴之所以參與，只是因爲它們迫切希望美國參與該地區的經濟活動。利用IPEF尋求限制捕鯨是沒有意義的，只會疏遠日本，如果IPEF要取得成果，華盛頓最需要的合作伙伴是日本。」
Tokyo was instrumental in helping the Biden administration launch IPEF, encouraging Washington to work with south-east Asian partners to ensure broader participation in the agreement.
東京方面在幫助拜登政府啓動IPEF方面發揮了重要作用，它鼓勵華盛頓與東南亞夥伴合作，確保該協議得到更廣泛的參與。
Japan and other countries are supporting the effort partly because they hope it will lead to the US joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a big trade agreement that Tokyo salvaged after then president Donald Trump pulled out of its predecessor.
日本和其他國家支援這一努力，部分原因是它們希望這將促使美國加入《全面與進步跨太平洋夥伴關係協定》(CPTPP)。在時任美國總統唐納•川普(Donald Trump)退出其前身協議後，日本挽救了這一重大貿易協定。
One person familiar with the talks said USTR initially pushed for language that would entail a complete ban on whaling. He said it later softened its approach, but that Japan remained adamant it would not support a deal that included any restrictions.
一位瞭解談判情況的人士表示，美國貿易代表辦公室最初推動的內容包括全面禁止捕鯨。他說，該辦公室後來軟化了態度，但日本仍然堅定地表示，不會支援包含任何限制的協議。
“It was a bit surprising that the US would put whaling on the table in a negotiation where it needs Japan’s undivided attention to help reach successful conclusion by November,” said Wendy Cutler, a former top USTR negotiator who is now vice-president of the Asia Society Policy Institute.
美國貿易代表辦公室前首席談判代表、現任亞洲協會政策研究所(Asia Society Policy Institute)副所長的溫迪•卡特勒(Wendy Cutler)表示：「在一場需要日本全力以赴幫助在11月前達成成果的談判中，美國將捕鯨問題擺上談判桌，這有點令人意外。」
The rare dispute between the close allies comes as Biden prepares to host Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol for a summit at the Camp David retreat on August 18.
在這兩個親密盟友發生罕見的爭端之際，拜登正準備於8月18日在戴維營接待日本首相岸田文雄(Fumio Kishida)和南韓總統尹錫悅(Yoon Suk Yeol)。