美国之音--新闻听力mp3国际风云(标准英语).pdf

美国之音 2006 新闻听力 mp3 国际风云(标准英语)01 01 日本要在亚洲确立新的军事地位 Japan To Establish New Military Role in Asia Amy Bickers Tokyo 24 May 2001 08:03 UTC Japans new Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said he wants to 1)amend the 2)Constitution which limits military activities to self-defense. Some officials in Tokyo say it is time for Japan to join with its 3)allies in international peacekeeping and other operations. The prime minister is pursing this controversial change just as Japan is assuming a higher profile in security relations with the United States. For the first time since World War II, Japans government is considering establishing a new military role in Asia. New Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is 4)spurring a debate by supporting a constitutional amendment to allow Japanese troops to play a role beyond defending the nations citizens and 5)sovereign territory. Japans Constitution, written by U.S. occupation forces after World War II, placed strict limits on the countrys defense forces to prevent a repeat of decades of Japanese 6)militarism in Asia. But Mr. Koizumi and many lawmakers in his 7)coalition government want Japan to now take part in collective security arrangements with other nations. If successful, it will be the first time Japans post-war Constitution is amended. Setsu Kobayashi is a 8)prominent lawyer and academic who 9)backs Mr. Koizumis proposal. He said he thinks Mr. Koizumi will succeed in his goal. He added that many Japanese people want the country to have the ability to protect and support its allies. But recent surveys show that the majority of Japanese people opposes such a constitutional revision. The idea of rising militarism is unpopular here and there is strong 10)resistance to dangerous overseas 11)missions. Despite constitutional restrictions, Japan has built its military into the best-equipped in Asia. The self-defense forces have a 12)quarter of a million people, 1,000 tanks, 300 13)fighter plan