中國在南海島嶼上的建設工程進展迅速

China is racing ahead with construction projects on reclaimed land in the South China Sea, new satellite images show, with at least two major projects now close to completion.

新的衛星照片顯示，中國在南中國海填海所造土地上的建設工程進展領先於其他國家。目前，至少有兩個重要工程已接近完工。

A 3km airstrip capable of handling combat jets on Fiery Cross Reef is almost fully built, a step some analyst say may presage an attempt to claim the airspace over the disputed waters .

在永暑礁(Fiery Cross Reef)上，一條能起降作戰飛機的3公里長跑道接近完工。一些分析人士稱，這預示着中國將試圖聲稱對這一爭議水域上方的空域擁有主權。

A year and a half ago Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands was a mere lump of coral but it is now a small island, following a concerted effort by high-tech dredging barges.

一年半前，斯普拉特利羣島（Spratly Islands，中國稱南沙羣島——譯者注）中的永暑礁還只是一塊珊瑚礁。如今，在衆多高科技吹沙船的一致努力下，永暑礁已經變成一座小島。

Meanwhile, a port has been added to facilities at Johnson South Reef, another reclaimed island in the Spratlys, with up to six security and surveillance towers under construction.

與此同時，在斯普拉特利羣島另一個填海造出的島嶼“約翰遜南礁”（Johnson South，中國稱赤瓜礁）上，在已有的設施之外又建成了一個港口，還有多達六個安防監控塔在建設當中。

Fiery Cross and Johnson South are among just over half a dozen submerged rocks and coral atolls that China has dredged into islands in the past 18 months, an effort Harry Harris, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, likened in April to “a great wall of sand”.

過去18個月裏，中國已將包括永暑礁和約翰遜南礁在內的六七個暗礁和珊瑚環礁吹填成島。今年4月，美國太平洋艦隊司令哈里•哈里斯(Harry Harris)曾將此比作“一道沙制的長城”。

China insists the facilities it is building on the islands are for peaceful purposes but western analysts say there is clear evidence China plans to use them as military bases in an effort to back its hegemonic maritime claims in the South China Sea. China claims sovereignty over 90 per cent of the Sea.

中國堅稱其在這些島上建設的設施是用於和平目的。不過，西方分析人士表示，有明確證據表明中國計劃將這些設施用作軍事基地，試圖以此來支撐其在南中國海的霸道的海上領土主張。中國聲稱對南中國海90%以上海域擁有主權。

US officials say they believe the airstrip on Fiery Cross Reef could eventually base fighter jets that could enforce an Air Defence Identification Zone over the South China Sea, if China were to claim one. China claimed such an ADIZ over the East China Sea in November 2013, provoking a diplomatic confrontation with the US and Japan.

美國官員表示，他們相信永暑礁上的飛機跑道可能最終會被用作戰鬥機基地。一旦中國在南中國海上空劃設防空識別區，這些戰鬥機可能會被用於該防空識別區的執法。2013年11月，中國曾在東中國海上空劃設了類似的防空識別區，引發了與美日兩國的外交對抗。

The latest photographs of the airstrip were taken by DigitalGlobe, a satellite imagery company, and published by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

上述跑道的最新照片由衛星圖像公司DigitalGlobe攝製，並由華盛頓戰略與國際研究中心(Center for Strategic and International Studies)旗下的亞洲海事透明度倡議組織（Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative，簡稱AMTI）發佈。

AMTI said the airstrip was being paved and marked, while an apron and taxi way had been added adjacent to the runway. Two helipads, up to 10 satellite communications antennas and one possible radar tower were visible on Fiery Cross Reef, it said.

AMTI表示，該跑道正在鋪設和標記當中。同時，跑道旁已增添了停機坪和滑行道。該組織表示，永暑礁上可以看到兩個直升機坪、多達十個衛星通信天線和一個可能是雷達塔的裝置。

Last month China’s foreign ministry said it was nearing completion of some features in the South China Sea, an apparent effort to mollify criticism of its building works. However, the statement appeared to leave open the possibility that work would start or continue on other features.

上月，中國外交部曾表示中國在南中國海的部分工程接近完工。此舉似乎是爲了平息其造島工程引發的批評。不過，這一聲明似乎也爲中國啓動或繼續其他工程的可能性預留了空間。

“Basically what they are saying is that they are nearing the end of this phase, and they’ll start the next phase whenever they want,” said one western diplomat in Beijing.

一名駐北京的西方外交官說：“基本上，他們是在說現階段的工作接近尾聲，並且會在需要時啓動下階段的工作。”