楊健回應FT報道：從未當過間諜

A Chinese-born member of New Zealand’s parliament denied being a spy for China at a press conference on Wednesday, although he acknowledged having taught students English for the purpose of information gathering at one of China’s leading military academies.

在周三舉行的一次記者招待會上，在中國出生的新西蘭國會議員楊健否認自己為中國間諜，但他承認曾在中國一所知名軍事院校從事以收集信息為目的的英語教學。

Jian Yang, an MP for New Zealand’s ruling National party since 2011, spent more than 10 years training and teaching at elite facilities including China’s top linguistics academy for military intelligence officers, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

英國《金融時報》周三報道稱，自2011年以來擔任新西蘭執(zhí)政黨國家黨(National party)議員的楊健(文首圖左)，曾在幾所精英院校學習和執(zhí)教了逾十年時間，其中包括中國一所培養(yǎng)軍事情報官員的頂級語言院校(洛陽解放軍外國語學院——編者注)。

Yang, responding to questions from reporters in Auckland, said that he had undertaken language training then stayed on to teach at the institute.

楊健在奧克蘭回答記者提問時表示，他先是在這所語言院校接受了語言訓練，然后留校任教。

“If you define those cadets or students as spies, yes, then I was teaching spies. If that is the case. I don’t think so [they were spies],” Mr Yang said, according to the New Zealand Herald.

《新西蘭先驅報》(New Zealand Herald)報道稱，楊健表示：“如果你把這些學員或學生定義為間諜，是的，那么可以說我在教間諜。如果真是那種情況的話。我認為，不能這么說(不能說他們是間諜)。

“I just think they are collecting information through communication in China. If you define that way, then they were spies. But for us, it was just collecting information.”

“我只認為，他們在通過中國的通訊內容收集信息。如果你那樣定義的話，那么他們就是間諜。但對我們來說，這只是在收集信息。”

Asked whether he had ever been a member of the army, Mr Yang said he “was a civilian officer paid by the military, but I had no rank, I was a lecturer”. Mr Yang also said he was not, nor had ever been, a spy.

當被問及他是否曾為軍人時，楊健表示，他“是一名由軍隊付薪水的文職干部，但我沒有軍銜，我是一名講師”。楊健還表示，他不是間諜，也從未當過間諜。

He also said the reports about his background were a “smear campaign” and suggested that anti-Chinese racism was the motive.

他還表示，有關他背景的報道是一場“抹黑行動”，并暗示背后動機在于反華種族主義。

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was “opposed to the groundless, false accusations of the relevant media”.

中國外交部稱，它對有關媒體這種毫無根據的不實指責表示反對。