问：据报道，美国海军“康涅狄格”号潜艇近日在南海海域潜航时撞到不明物体，造成一定程度的损坏和部分人员受伤。请问中方对此有何评论？
BEIJING, Oct. 19 – Chinese Defense Spokesperson Senior Colonel Tan Kefei on Tuesday urged the United States to make clarification on the recent collision of the US Navy Submarine USS Connecticut (SSN-22) with an unidentified object during the diving operation in the South China Sea in a written statement released on Oct.19.
答：中方对此次事件表示严重关切，要求美方作出澄清。美方作为当事方，有责任有义务详细说明事件有关情况。
According to reports, the collision caused some damage to the USS Connecticut (SSN-22) and some injuries. When being asked to comment on this incident, the Chinese defense spokesperson said that China is seriously concerned about the incident and requests clarification from the US side. "Being the responsible party, the US has the responsibility and obligation to elaborate on the circumstances of the incident," he added.
长期以来，美军打着“航行和飞越自由”的旗号，频繁派遣航母、战略轰炸机、核潜艇等先进武器平台在南海炫耀武力、兴风作浪，严重威胁地区国家安全，加剧地区紧张局势，这也是此次事件的根源所在、危害所在。
The spokesperson pointed out that for a long time, the US military has frequently dispatched aircraft carriers, strategic bombers, nuclear submarines and other advanced weapon systems to show muscles and stir up troubles in the South China Sea in the name of "freedom of navigation and overflight", which has seriously threatened regional national security and exacerbated regional tensions. "This is exactly the root cause and harm of this incident," he stressed.
我们同时认为，美方的上述行为势必影响南海海域的航行安全，引发南海沿岸国家的严重关切和不安，对地区和平稳定构成严重威胁和重大风险。从根源上说，美方应停止对中国南海岛礁邻近海空域抵近侦察和针对中国的军力部署，停止在南海搞所谓“航行自由行动”。
"We believe that the above-mentioned actions of the United States are bound to affect the navigation safety in the South China Sea, bring about serious concern and anxiety among countries along the South China Sea, and pose serious threat and risk to regional peace and stability," the spokesperson said, noting that the US should stop its close-in reconnaissance of the adjacent seas and airspace of China's islands and reefs in the South China Sea and its military deployment against China, and stop the so-called "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea.
我们注意到，美国军方此次刻意拖延和隐瞒了事故详情，10月2日发生碰撞事故后，时隔5天才发表一份语焉不详的简短声明，这种不负责任、遮遮掩掩的做法，缺乏透明度，极易引发误解误判，中国及南海周边国家不得不质疑事件的真相和美方意图。
"We noticed that the US military deliberately delayed and concealed the details of the incident," the spokesperson continued. The US issued an ambiguous short statement five days after the collision on October 2. “Such irresponsible and secretive practice, lacking transparency, could easily lead to misunderstanding and miscalculation. China and countries around the South China Sea have no choice but to question the truth and the US side’s intention.
此次事件还表明，美英澳近期建立三边安全伙伴关系开展核潜艇合作，使得澳大利亚这样的无核国家获得可用于制造核武器的核材料，将使武器级高浓铀脱离必要监管，带来巨大的核扩散风险，严重违反《不扩散核武器条约》精神，冲击国际核不扩散体系，诱发军备竞赛，破坏东南亚无核区建设，发生核事故的概率也会大幅上升，给地区和平安全带来严峻挑战。
The spokesperson also mentioned that recently, the United States, the UK and Australia have recently established a trilateral security partnership to carry out cooperation on nuclear-powered submarine, giving the non-nuclear state Australia access to nuclear material that could be used to make nuclear weapons, which would exclude weapons-grade HEU from necessary supervision, and pose huge nuclear proliferation risk. "This act seriously violates the spirit of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), impacts the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, triggers the arms race, and undermines the construction of Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone in Southeast Asia," said the spokesperson, adding that the possibility of nuclear accidents may also significantly increase, posing great challenges to regional peace and security.
中方要求美方认真对待各方关切，采取负责任态度，尽快对此次事件作出详尽说明，给国际社会和地区国家一个满意的交代。
In the end of the written statement, the spokesperson reiterated that China urges the United States to take seriously the concerns of all parties, take a responsible attitude, and give a detailed account of the incident as soon as possible, so as to give a satisfactory explanation to the international community and regional countries.
