马尔代夫国际机场改扩建项目正式启动

The Maldives government has kicked off a controversial $800-million expansion of the country's main airport by a Chinese company, a move likely to irritate giant neighbour India.

近日，马尔代夫政府与一家中国公司签约了一项颇具争议的8亿美元机场扩张项目，这一举动可能会激怒其邻国印度。

President Abdulla Yameen inaugurated construction work in a ceremony on last Wednesday night in the capital Male of the politically troubled country.

这个政治动乱的国家的总统阿卜杜勒·亚米恩于上周三晚上，在首都马累为该建设工作揭开了序幕。

"The president stated that with the expansion, the airport would become the economic backbone of the Maldives and that this would be the main gateway of modern day development," a government statement said on last Thursday.

上周四的一份政府声明宣称："亚米恩总统表示，随着该机场的扩建，它将成为马尔代夫的经济支柱，也将是马尔代夫现代发展的主要门户。"

Chinese company Beijing Urban Construction Group was awarded the contract during President Xi Jinping's visit to the strategically located Indian Ocean islands in September 2014.

在中国国家主席习近平于2014年9月访问这个位于印度洋的岛国期间，中国的北京城市建设集团公司就已经签署了该项目的合同。

Two years earlier, the Maldives kicked out Indian infrastructure firm GMR and cancelled its lucrative contract to run the airport. The move sparked fury from New Delhi which threatened to cut off aid to the country, amid concerns the upmarket holiday destination was tilting towards India's rival China.

两年前，马尔代夫宣布取消印度基础建设集团对马尔代夫马累国际机场的管理合同。此举激怒了新德里政府。印度方面担心马尔代夫的高档度假胜地会向竞争对手中国倾斜，因此威胁称要切断对该国的援助。

The Maldives government, which says the airport will not be privatised again, has said the expansion is needed to accommodate increasing tourist numbers to the upmarket honeymoon destination.

马尔代夫政府表示，该机场将不会再次私有化，此次扩建是为了满足来这个高档蜜月地点度假的不断增长的游客数量。

It comes despite ongoing political turmoil in the Maldives which has dented its reputation as a peaceful tourist paradise.

尽管马尔代夫政局的持续动荡影响了其作为和平旅游圣地的声誉，但是扩建工作依然会如期展开。