Second test flights performed at Nansha Islands

南沙永暑礁机场试飞成功

China successfully carried out test flights of two commercial airliners on Wednesday at a newly built airfield in the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.

周三，在中国南海南沙群岛的一个新建机场，两架商用飞机试飞成功。

The airfield will provide more routes for flights over the South China Sea, according to a government media release.

据某政府媒体报道，此次试飞成功将为南海地区提供更为灵活的航线选择。

Insiders, who declined to be named, said the test flights were different from the one reported on Saturday. That flight aimed to test communication between the planes and the airfield, while Wednesday’s were "real test flights".

一名匿名的内部人士透露，此次试飞和上周六的试飞不同。上周六那次试飞目的是测试飞机和机场间的交流，而本周三的试飞是“真正的飞行测试”。

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying confirmed on Saturday that China had finished building an airfield on Yongshu Jiao in China’s Nansha Islands. It is the most southerly airfield in the country. She said Saturday’s test flight was intended to check whether the runway met civilian aviation standards.

上周六，外交部发言人华春莹证实，中国南沙群岛永暑礁机场正式竣工，这是中国目前最南端的机场。她说道周六的试飞旨在检测其运行是否达到民航客机运行标准。

Xinhua News Agency reported that two civilian aircraft departed from Haikou in Hainan province on Wednesday morning and landed on Yongshu Jiao after flights of nearly two hours. They returned to Haikou in the afternoon.

新华社报道，周三早上，两架民用飞机从海南省海口起飞，飞行两个小时，在永暑礁落地，下午飞回了海口。

The official media release by Xinhua said, "The test flights proved that the airfield has the capacity to ensure safe operation of large civilian aircraft. This will help with the transportation of goods and personnel as well as with healthcare on the islands, it said, adding that the airfield will also serve as an alternate one for flights in the region.”

据新华社官方媒体报道，“这次试飞成功证明该机场具备了保障民航大型客机安全运行的能力，将为岛礁物资运输、人员往来、医疗救护提供便捷的交通方式。”

Pan Wei, chief engineer at China Rescue and Salvage under the Ministry of Transport, said the airfield will significantly cut travel time between the Nansha Islands and the Chinese mainland.

中国交通部救援和救助部首席总工程师潘伟称，永暑礁机场建成将大幅缩短南沙群岛和中国大陆机场的旅行时间。

Pan said the airfield will help to ensure flight and navigational safety for airplanes and ships in the area and greatly improve the ability of marine salvagers.

潘伟说道，这个机场将会帮助提高南海区域飞机和轮船飞行安全性，提高海上救援能力。

As a responsible country, China will continue to promote the building of emergency response and rescue facilities, Pan said. It will shoulder the international obligations of search and rescue operations, marine environmental protection, disaster prevention, and navigational safety in the South China Sea.

潘伟继续说道，中国作为负责任的大国，将继续提高紧急救援设施建设。中国将承担起海上救援，海洋环境保护，灾难预防和南海区域的航行安全的国际责任。

Nearly 40 percent of global trade is carried through the South China Sea, which sees the passage of at least 40,000 ships annually.

全球贸易中近40%路经南海，每年至少有4万只船只通过。

Vietnam and the Philippines have protested over the new airfield’s completion. But Hua said on Saturday the test flight that day was completed "completely within China’s sovereignty".

越南和菲律宾对新机场的落成表示抗议。但华春莹星期六表示，当天的试飞是“完全在中国的主权领土范围内进行的”。