With international attention this year diverted by North Korea, China has been quietly making geopolitical gains further south. Throughout 2017, Beijing has been equipping its artificial islands in the contested waters of the South China Sea for potential military use.

今年，由于朝鲜吸引了国际社会的关注，中国一直悄悄地在南方获得更大的地缘政治利益。整个2017年，北京方面一直在装备存争议的南中国海(South China Sea)海域的人工岛屿，使之具有潜在军事用途。

Aerial photos published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington show new construction on islands built by China, which now bristle with bunkers, aircraft hangars and shelters for radar, aircraft, warships and artillery.

华盛顿战略与国际研究中心(CSIS)公布的航空照片显示了中国在岛上打造的新建筑物，如今岛上已拥有很多地堡、飞机库，以及用于雷达、飞机、军舰和火炮的掩体。

The new infrastructure leaves China in a position to station fighter jets and warships on the outcrops in 2018, and to make ambitious claims to territorial waters and airspace around them if Beijing chooses, say analysts.

分析人士表示，这些新设施使中国2018年可以在岛屿上部署战斗机和军舰，如果愿意的话，可以对岛屿周围的领海和领空提出雄心勃勃的要求。

The new infrastructure, and the lack of global attention on the South China Sea, reflects a subtle shift in priorities under the administration of Donald Trump, US president, whose Asia security policy has focused on North Korea and lacked enthusiasm for foreign alliances.

这些新设施加上全球对南中国海缺少关注，反映出了总统唐纳德•特朗普(Donald Trump)领导下的美国政府的优先事项发生的微妙转变。特朗普的亚洲安全政策重点在于朝鲜，在对外联盟方面缺乏兴趣。

The most effective check on China’s expansionist behaviour in the disputed waters, analysts say, is pushback from other claimant states. But these smaller countries have been largely ignored by Washington in 2017 and are thus less bold about defending their rights.

分析人士表示，对中国在争议海域的扩张行为的最有效制约手段，是其他主权声索国的抵制。但在2017年，这些小国基本被华盛顿方面忽略了，因此在捍卫本国权利方面不那么大胆。

A 2016 international arbitration tribunal backed the Philippines after Manila sought to invalidate the “nine-dash line”, which outlines China’s historic claim to about 85 per cent of the South China Sea. But Beijing has largely neutralised the verdict amid a shift from the Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte in favour of China and away from the US.

在菲律宾寻求宣告“九段线”——这是中国宣称南中国海大约85%的面积为本国领土的历史要求——无效时，一家国际仲裁法庭于2016年支持了菲律宾的主张。但在菲律宾总统罗德里戈•杜特尔特(Rodrigo Duterte)亲近中国、远离美国的背景下，北京方面基本上把该裁定变成了一张废纸。

A more recent example of a shift towards China, according to Yan Xuetong, dean of the Institute of Modern International Relations at Tsinghua University, is Singapore. It has long been in the western camp but in September agreed to step up joint military exercises with Beijing.

清华大学国际关系研究院院长阎学通说，拉近与中国关系的一个更近的例子是新加坡。新加坡长期以来一直位于西方阵营，但今年9月同意与中国举行更多军事演习。

“Trump’s security strategy in east Asia focuses on north-east Asia,” Mr Yan said in an interview with the Global Times, a Chinese nationalist tabloid published on Tuesday. “As he takes little count of military alliances with Southeast Asian countries, they have to reconsider their security strategies.”

“特朗普的东亚安全战略重点在东北亚，”阎学通在接受《环球时报》采访(内容发表于周二)时说，“由于他不重视与东南亚国家的军事同盟关系，因此东南亚国家不得不重新考虑他们的安全战略。”

The White House insists it has not dropped its focus on the South China Sea, and singled it out in its latest National Security Strategy, released before Christmas.

美国白宫坚称，美国并未放弃对南中国海的关注，在圣诞节前公布的最新《国家安全战略》中提到了南中国海问题。

“[China’s] efforts to build and militarise outposts in the South China Sea endanger the free flow of trade, threaten the sovereignty of other nations and undermine regional stability,” it said.

“(中国)在南中国海兴建基地并对其军事化的努力，危及了贸易自由流动，威胁了其他国家的主权，并破坏了地区稳定，”白宫表示。

China insists it does not plan to militarise the islands but says it reserves the right to do what it wants with them.

中国坚称其不打算军事化上述岛屿，但表示保留依照自身意愿行事的权利。

“The fact is that this is China’s territory, and anything the Chinese government does here has nothing to do with other countries” said Liu Zhiqin, senior fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University, echoing Beijing’s official position.

“事实在于，这是中国的领土，中国政府无论在这里做什么，都与其他国家没有关系，”中国人民大学重阳金融研究院高级研究员刘志勤说。他呼应了官方立场。