China's Defense Ministry warned the U.S. that bilateral military relations would face “severe obstacles” as a result of its decision to upgrade Taiwan's fighter jets, but Beijing appeared to have stopped short of suspending defense ties as it did the day after the last arms package was unveiled in January 2010.

　　中国国防部警告美国，因美国做出升级台湾战斗机的决定，两国军事关系将面临“严重障碍”。但北京似乎并没有像2010年1月份上一套军售方案公布之后那样中断两国间的防务联系。

　　The upgrades─which some analysts suggested was a compromise agreed in advance with Beijing─also appeared not to have affected a visit to Beijing by Steven Chu, the U.S. Energy Secretary, who said the issue wasn't raised in his meetings with Chinese officials Thursday. In the past, China has often voiced protests over Taiwan, Tibet and other sensitive issues in meetings not directly related to the subject.

　　升级台湾战斗机的决定似乎并没有影响美国能源部长朱棣文(Steven Chu)对北京的访问。朱棣文说，周四他和中国官员的会谈期间，这个问题没有被谈起。中国过去常常在没有直接关系的会谈期间就台湾、西藏和其他敏感议题表示抗议。一些分析人士认为，这次对台湾战斗机的升级是美方与北京事先达成的一个妥协方案。

　　The Obama administration informed Congress Wednesday that it would sell Taiwan $5.3 billion of arms, consisting mainly of upgrades for the island's existing Lockheed Martin F-16 A/B fighter jets rather than the new F-16 C/Ds that it was also seeking.

　　奥巴马政府周三告诉国会，它将向台湾出售53亿美元的武器，其中主要是对台湾已经拥有的洛克希德•马丁(Lockheed Martin) F-16 A/B型战斗机进行升级，而不是出售台湾希望得到的新型F-16 C/D战机。

　　That prompted some U.S. lawmakers to accuse the White House of placing commercial ties with China─the world's second-largest economy and the biggest holder of U.S. debt─ahead of Washington's legal commitment to help Taiwan defend itself.

　　美国部分议员为此指责白宫，说它把对华商业关系置于华盛顿帮助台湾保卫自己的法定义务之前。中国是世界第二大经济体，也是美国国债的最大持有人。

　　The U.S. has tried to stabilize military ties with China since they resumed in January this year, and Chinese experts had predicted that Beijing would stop short of suspending them again if the U.S. didn't cross what they call a “red line” by selling Taiwan the new F-16 C/Ds. Beijing considers Taiwan a rebel province.

　　两国军事关系在今年1月份恢复以来，美国努力维持其稳定，而中国专家也曾预计，如果美国不跨越向台湾出售F-16 C/D战机的“红线”，那么北京就不会中断两军关系。

　　China's initial public response matched those predictions. Its Foreign Ministry summoned the new U.S. ambassador, Gary Locke, late on Wednesday to lodge an official protest, according to the Foreign Ministry and the U.S. Embassy.

　　中国的初次公开回应符合这些预期。据中国外交部和美国驻华大使馆说，外交部周三晚间召集新任驻华大使骆家辉(Gary Locke)发出正式抗议。

　　On Thursday, China's Defense Ministry said in a statement on its website that it had also summoned the acting military attache at the U.S. embassy.

　　中国国防部周四在其网站上发表声明说，它也召集了美国驻华大使馆一位代理武官。

　　“Rather than working with China to consolidate and expand the positive growth of bilateral military ties, the U.S. again announced plans to sell arms to Taiwan, which will create severe obstacles for normal military-to-military exchanges,” the statement quoted Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng as saying.

　　声明援引国防部发言人耿雁生的话说，美方不但没有与中方一道“巩固、扩大”两军关系的积极势头，反而再次宣布对台军售计划，“将给两军开展正常交往制造严重障碍”。

　　“Reality has proved that the United States should be held fully accountable for damaging China-U.S. military relations,” he said. The U.S. Embassy confirmed the Defense Ministry summons, but declined to provide details.

　　耿雁生说：“事实证明，破坏中美两军关系发展的责任完全在美方。”美国驻华大使馆证实中国国防部召集武官的事情，但拒绝提供具体情况。

　　Analysts said the U.S. decision might still adversely affect defense exchanges, or other parts of the relationship, especially if Chinese leaders come under pressure internally, or from nationalistic online commentators, to issue a more robust response.

　　分析人士说，美国的决定可能对防务交流或两军关系的其他方面产生不良影响，特别是如果中国领导人因为内部的压力、或网上民族主义言论而做出更强烈回应的话。

　　But several analysts said both sides appeared to have agreed in advance on a compromise that would allow them to maintain defense exchanges and avoid another crisis in relations in the sensitive run-up to a Communist Party leadership change in China next year. Vice President Xi Jinping, who is expected to take over as party chief next year and president in 2013, is expected to make his first official visit to the U.S. early next year.

　　但多位分析人士说，双方似乎已经事先达成妥协，因此它们将能够维持防务交流，并避免在中共领导人明年换届前的敏感时期再次发生危机。有望于明年当上党总书记并于2013年当上国家主席的现任国家副主席习近平，预计会在明年年初赴美国开展他的第一次正式访问。

　　Asked about the Chinese reaction, Denny Roy, a senior fellow and expert on Asian security issues at the East-West Center in Hawaii, said: “I thought it was amazingly mild. It suggests that the U.S. and China have worked out a way of discussing these things in advance.”

　　夏威夷东西方中心(East-West Center)高级研究员、亚洲安全事务专家饶义(Denny Roy)说，中国的反应惊人的温和；它说明美国和中国已经找到了事先讨论这些事情的途径。

　　He and other analysts said the real impact on military ties would become evident in the coming weeks and months, as China and the U.S. are due to hold joint antipiracy exercises in the Gulf of Aden before the end of the year.

　　他和另外一些分析人士说，中国和美国按计划要于年内在亚丁湾举行联合反海盗演习，所以两军关系受到的真正影响将会在接下来几周、几个月变得明朗起来。

　　The two sides are also due to conduct talks on maritime safety and cooperation at the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii, as well as senior military medical exchanges in Washington, D.C., Hawaii and Texas, although precise dates haven't been announced.

　　按计划，双方还要在夏威夷美国太平洋司令部(Pacific Command)举行海上安全与合作方面的会谈，还要在华盛顿特区、夏威夷和得克萨斯州举行高级别的军事医学交流，但具体日期没有公布。

　　U.S officials say China confirmed those plans during a visit by Adm. Mike Mullen, the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Beijing in July, and also committed to future humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exchanges and joint exercises in 2012.

　　美国官员说，中国在美国参谋长联席会议主席 (Joint Chiefs of Staff)穆伦(Mike Mullen)7月份访问北京期间确认了这些计划，并承诺在将来开展人道救援和救灾方面的交流并在2012年举行联合军事演习。