There have been plenty of reasons given explaining why Okinawan residents hold reservations about the continued U.S. military presence on the tropical island: noise pollution and the unruly behavior of some U.S. servicemen, to name a couple. But here's another: Okinawans don't view China's growing military might as a security threat, a diverging perspective from attitudes held in Tokyo and Washington, according to a U.S. embassy cable released by Wikileaks.
對於衝繩居民為何對美軍繼續駐紮在當地持保留態度一事，可以給出許多理由加以解釋，噪音汙染和某些美國軍人的不守規矩行為便是兩個隨手就可指出的原因。但還有一個理由：維基解密（Wikileaks）公布的美國駐日使館外交電文顯示，衝繩人並不將中國不斷增長的軍事力量視為一種安全威脅，這種看法與東京和華盛頓所持的態度大相逕庭。
'Despite China's rapidly expanding economic and military activities, including in waters near Okinawa, Okinawans claim they do not share America's or Japan's sense of threat from China.....and which is a factor in local attitudes toward U.S. military bases in Okinawa,' states an April 26, 2006 cable sent from the U.S. Consulate in Naha, located in Okinawa.
Agence France-Presse/Getty Images2010年12月17日，日本首相菅直人到訪衝繩縣政府時，當地居民打出「撤回計劃」的橫幅，並高喊口號。美國駐衝繩首府那霸的領事館2006年4月26日所發的一份電文說，儘管中國在包括衝繩附近水域進行的經濟和軍事活動迅速增多，但衝繩人稱他們並未像美國和日本那樣覺得中國是一種威脅......這是導致當地人對美國在衝繩軍事基地所持態度的一個因素。
The U.S. cable, signed by Thomas Reich, the consul general of the U.S. consulate in Naha, says that this lack of fear coincides with Okinawa's historical ties with China and how the two share a mutual connection because both have been treated poorly by Japan. It refers to incidents that occurred during World War II, specifically the Battle of Okinawa -- the full frontal assault from both sides that resulted in mass military and civilian casualties. It also gives a short historical brief on the amicable ties between China and the island chain when they were still recognized as the independent Ryukyu kingdom prior to the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95.
這份由美國駐那霸領事館總領事託馬斯•裡奇（Thomas Reich）籤署的電文說，衝繩人對中國缺乏恐懼感與衝繩和中國的歷史聯繫以及衝繩和中國因雙方都一直受到日本的惡待而產生的相互親近是相符合的。電文提到了第二次世界大戰期間發生的一系列事件，特別是美日雙方全力進行的衝繩之戰，這場戰役導致了雙方軍人和平民的大量傷亡。電文還簡要回顧了中國與衝繩群島之間的友好歷史，在1894-95年的中日甲午戰爭之前，衝繩是一個獨立的國家，名叫琉球國。
The cable details multiple conversations with local Okinawan authorities that show the southern island largely viewed the Chinese threat as nil, despite increasing incursions into Japanese maritime and air territory.
電文詳細羅列了與衝繩當地權威人士的大量談話內容，這些談話顯示，儘管中國侵入日本海域和空域的事件不斷增多，在衝繩眼裡中國威脅基本等於零。
'We asked why a look at a map of the region surrounding Okinawa and current stories regarding China's expansion didn't provide Okinawans enough information for them to judge for themselves. Tomon replied the GOJ (government of Japan) and USG (U.S. government) were like the boy who cried wolf, pointing to China and claiming that something awful might happen, but nothing ever did. Okinawans were undisturbed, Tomon claimed, by Chinese incursions,' states the cable in reference to a March 2006 discussion with Mitsuko Tomon, a former Socialist Party lawmaker and who was at the time a mayoral candidate for Okinawa City. Ms. Tomon added, according to the cable, that historically, 'Japan and the United States had been more harmful to Okinawa than China had ever been.'
電文在談到美方人員2006年3月與日本前社會黨議員、當時正競選衝繩市長的東門美津子（Mitsuko Tomon）展開的一場討論時說，我們問道，為何看一眼衝繩周邊地區圖以及當前那些有關中國實力擴張的報導都未能給衝繩人提供足夠的信息，使其形成自己的判斷。東門美津子回答說，日本政府和美國政府就像那個喊狼來了的孩子，他們把矛頭指向中國，聲稱可能會發生某些可怕的事，但從來沒有任何可怕事情發生過。東門美津子說，衝繩人沒有受到中國人入侵的困擾。電文還援引東門美津子的話說，從歷史上看，日本和美國對衝繩造成的傷害比中國以往對衝繩的傷害要大。
The cable notes a number of friendly exchanges that had cropped up between Okinawa and China in recent years, and contrasts China's tone towards the southern island with that extended towards the mainland based on local media reports. But the U.S. doubts whether it's all about historical ties with China that have formed Okinawa's attitude.
電文指出，近年來衝繩和中國之間發生了許多友好交流，電文還將中國對衝繩的態度以及衝繩當地媒體報導中對中國的態度做了對比。不過美國也懷疑，衝繩對中國的態度是否全是因其歷史上與中國的關係而形成的。
'Okinawa's exceptionalism is not based entirely on history and feeling; it is used to practical effect. Okinawans claiming to feel no threat from China often use this to bolster arguments that bases should be eliminated from Okinawa. For example, when asked specifically about Chinese military activities near Okinawa, such as the November 2004 submarine incursion, former Diet member Tomon grudgingly admitted that the incident was regrettable. She hastened to add, however, that it alone did not justify the concentration of U.S. forces and facilities in Okinawa.'
電文說，衝繩對中國的看法不同於日本其他地方並非完全是因為歷史和情感；衝繩人持這種態度是有其現實用意的。那些聲稱未感到有來自中國威脅的衝繩人常常以此來支持他們有關美軍基地應撤出衝繩的看法。比如，當東門美津子被明確問到中國在衝繩附近的軍事活動時，比如2004年11月的中國潛艇入侵事件，她勉強承認，這一事件令人遺憾。但她又急忙補充說，僅憑這一事件並不足以證明美國軍隊和美軍設施集中在衝繩是合理的。