Japan is likely to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank within a few months, according to the country’s ambassador to Beijing, a move that would see Tokyo break ranks with Washington and leave the US as the only big holdout.
据日本驻华大使透露，日本很可能在几个月内加入亚洲基础设施投资银行（Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank，简称“亚投行”），此举将意味着日本在这件事上与美国分道扬镳，也使美国成为唯一拒不加入亚投行的大国。
Masato Kitera told the Financial Times he agreed with Japanese business leaders’ belief that the country would sign up to the China-led development bank by June.
日本驻中国大使木寺昌人(Masato Kitera)对英国《金融时报》表示，他同意日本商界领袖的看法，即日本将最迟在6月份加入这家由中国主导的开发银行。
“The business community woke up late, but now they have mounted a big campaign for the AIIB which appears to be very effective,” Mr Kitera said.
“商界醒悟得比较晚，但现在他们大举发起了加入亚投行的活动，似乎很有效，”木寺昌人表示。
The $50bn AIIB has proved a flashpoint for international alliances, with Washington increasingly rattled as traditional allies — starting with the UK and including South Korea and Australia in recent days — break ranks.
500亿美元的亚投行已被证明是国际联盟的“闪点”，令华盛顿方面越来越慌乱的是，传统盟友（从英国开始，近日还包括韩国和澳大利亚）一个接一个自行其是。
A Japanese move to join the bank would be a reversal of rhetoric and, for China, the biggest coup yet given the fractious relationship between the two Asian powers. Japan also has strong links to the rival Asian Development Bank, the head of which it traditionally appoints, and has in the past questioned the need for a new bank.
日本申请加入亚投行，将标志着日方说辞的逆转，对中国来说，鉴于两个亚洲大国之间的棘手关系，这也将是迄今最大的收获。日本与亚投行的竞争对手亚洲开发银行（Asian Development Bank，简称“亚行”）有很强的联系，亚行行长传统上由日本任命。日本曾对成立一家新的开发银行的必要性提出质疑。
Barely two weeks ago, the cabinet secretary rowed back on more positive comments from Taro Aso, the finance minister.
仅仅两个星期前，日本内阁官房长官还刻意淡化了财务大臣麻生太郎(Taro Aso)比较积极的言论。
“We are cautious about joining,” said Yoshihide Suga, chief cabinet secretary. “Minister Aso’s position is the same.”
“我们对加盟持谨慎态度，”日本内阁官房长官菅义伟(Yoshihide Suga)表示。“麻生大臣的立场是一样的。”
The China-led development bank dominated discussions at the annual conference of China’s Boao Forum over recent days and has become a gauge both of China’s growing clout in international economic and financial matters and the corresponding decline of US influence.
亚投行在近日中国举行的博鳌亚洲论坛年会上成为主要讨论话题，中国主导的这家开发银行还已成为一个风向标，说明中国在国际经济和金融事务中的影响力不断上升，而美国的影响力相应下降。
Representatives of virtually every country in attendance at Boao also pledged support for the institution.
在博鳌，几乎每一个与会国家的代表都承诺支持亚投行。
Japan would have to weigh up various factors before making a decision to break with the US on the issue, not least the finalisation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, one of the biggest trade deals in history, and a visit by Mr Abe to Washington next month.
日本在这个问题上做出与美国分道扬镳的决定之前，将不得不权衡各种因素，包括史上最大贸易协定之一《跨太平洋伙伴关系协定》（Trans-Pacific Partnership，简称TPP）的最终敲定，以及安倍下月访问华盛顿。
No country was seen to be as supportive of the US position as Japan — in part because many officials in both countries saw the AIIB as a direct challenge to the Japanese-controlled Asian Development Bank.
此前日本被视为最铁杆支持美国立场的国家，部分原因是美日两国的不少官员认为亚投行是对日本控制的亚行的直接挑战。
But Japanese executives look on China’s ambitious plans to help build infrastructure in the region as a huge business opportunity, as well as a chance to help repair frayed relations.
但在日本企业高管看来，中国帮助亚洲地区建设基础设施的雄心勃勃的计划是一个巨大的商机，也是修复两国间不佳关系的契机。
This month, for example, a group of Mitsubishi Group executives based in China met Jin Liqun, who will run the infrastructure bank, to offer their support. Mr Jin, once a senior official at the ADB, is a familiar face to many Japanese. They say they have confidence, in part because of his participation, that the bank will adhere to best practice.
本月，三菱集团(Mitsubishi Group)常驻中国的一组高管会晤了将要执掌亚投行的金立群，表达他们的支持。曾经在亚行担任高级官员的金立群，是很多日本人熟悉的面孔。他们表示，金立群的参与使他们更有信心认为，亚投行将坚持最佳实践。
Neither the ADB nor other multilateral financial institutions have anything like the resources necessary to finance Asia’s infrastructure needs. And beyond Japan, the region lacks private sector institutions such as insurers with deep enough pockets to fund such large, long-term projects, while new capital requirements discourage banks from doing so.
无论是亚行还是其他多边金融机构，都根本没有满足亚洲基础设施建设需求所必需的那种资源。除了日本以外，亚洲还缺乏保险商之类的私营部门机构，拥有足够雄厚的财力为大型长期的项目提供资金，同时新的资本要求使商业银行不愿这么做。
One former US official at Boao said that if the Japanese joined the AIIB, Washington would be forced to soften its stance and might choose to adopt observer status. So far, US officials have said they merely want to ensure the bank adopts best practice and transparency in its lending.
美国一名前任官员在博鳌表示，如果日本加入了亚投行，华盛顿将被迫软化立场，可能选择申请观察员地位。迄今为止，美国官员表示，他们只是希望确保亚投行采用最佳实践，在放贷中做到透明。
The AIIB, as well as the New Development Bank (better known as the “Brics bank”) and the “one belt, one road” initiative, is also seen as a way for China to deal with its huge excess capacity in industries ranging from cement and glass to iron and steel.
亚投行、新开发银行（New Development Bank，更为人熟知的名称是“金砖国家开发银行”）以及“一带一路”倡议，也被视为中国应对多个产业（水泥、玻璃、钢铁）严重产能过剩的一种方式。
Some officials in India, for example, privately say that they fear the projects will cause deepening problems for them as China attempts to export its deflation. But such voices are a minority in Asia.
例如，印度一些官员私下表示担心，随着中国企图输出自己的通缩，相关项目将对他们造成不断加深的问题。但这种声音在亚洲属于少数。
Additional reporting by Robin Harding in Tokyo
罗宾•哈丁(Robin Harding)东京补充报道