投資是“海上絲綢之路”的一部分

BBC News – Several people have been injured in southern Sri Lanka during a protest against allowing China to build a port and industrial zone. The plan envisages the eviction of thousands of villagers around Hambantota port, 240km south-east of the capital Colombo.

BBC新聞 – 斯里蘭卡南部抗議允許中國建設港口和工業區的活動中有數人受傷。這項投資計劃將導致首都科倫坡東南240公里處的汗班托特港周圍數千名村民被動遷。

Police used tear gas as the protest delayed a ceremony being attended by Prime Minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe.

由於抗議活動耽誤了維克拉馬辛哈總理出席的儀式，警方使用了催淚彈。

Opponents say the area is being turned into what they call a Chinese colony.

反對者說，這個地區正在變成他們所謂的中國殖民地。

The government is finalising a 99-year lease of the port area to a company that is 80% Chinese-owned. A nearby area will be used for an industrial zone where Chinese companies will be invited to set up factories. The government says local people will be given new land.

政府正在敲定一份爲期99年的租約，把該港口區租借給一家中方持股80%的公司。附近一個地區將被用於工業區，中國公司受邀在工業區設廠。政府表示，當地人將分到新的土地。

The port development is the latest in a series of major investments by China in Sri Lanka's infrastructure. China has pumped millions of dollars into Sri Lanka's infrastructure since the end of a 26-year civil war in 2009.

該港口開發是中國對斯里蘭卡基礎設施一系列重大投資的最新一次。中國自2009年斯里蘭卡持續26年的內戰結束後對其基礎設施注入了數百萬美元。

China's so-called string of pearls strategy - an attempt to expand its influence in South Asia - is controversial - and watched with particular suspicion by its regional rival, India.

中國試圖在南亞擴大其影響力的所謂珍珠鏈戰略備受爭議，更是受到其地區對手印度疑慮重重的關注。

The investment is part of its bold ambition to engineer a "Maritime Silk Route" to oil-rich parts of the Middle East, and onwards to Europe.

這項投資是中國大膽野心的一部分 – 打造一條通往盛產石油的中東地區、進而通往歐洲的“海上絲綢之路”。