Hyundai Motor has stopped production at its China factories as the fallout from a political spat¹ between Seoul and Beijing continues to inflict² pain on South Korea’s largest automaker.

现代汽车(Hyundai Motor)在华工厂停产，韩国与中国政治争吵的冲击波继续给韩国最大汽车制造商带来痛苦。

The company said its Chinese affiliate³ Beijing Hyundai Motor had ceased operations at its four plants in China after a local supplier refused to provide necessary parts when it did not receive payment.

该公司表示，其在华子公司北京现代(Beijing Hyundai Motor)的4家工厂全部停止运营，此前一家当地供应商因没有收到货款而拒绝供应必要的部件。

The development is the latest blow to the South Korean group, which last month reported a 65 per cent drop in sales in China — its largest market.

这是现代遭遇的最新打击——上月现代发布财报称，中国市场销量下降65%。中国是现代最大的市场。

Much of the pain is a direct result of Chinese economic retaliation⁴ against South Korean companies after Seoul earlier this year began installing a US-owned and operated missile shield on the peninsula to defend against North Korea.

很大一部分痛苦是中国对韩国企业展开经济报复的直接结果。今年早些时候，韩国为了防御朝鲜，开始在境内安装由美国拥有并操作的反导系统。

Known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense⁵, or Thaad, the platform has enraged⁶ Beijing, which claims it can be used to spy on its own military developments. Since then, it has waged a full economic war against South Korean companies with conglomerates⁷ Hyundai and Lotte bearing the brunt of consumer boycotts⁸.

名为末段高空区域防御系统（THAAD，中文简称“萨德”）的这个平台激怒了中国；中国声称，它可能被用来侦察中国的军事动向。自那以来，中国对韩国企业发起了全面经济战，综合企业集团现代和乐天(Lotte)还受到消费者的抵制。

China once accounted for about a quarter of the automaker’s sales, while the now-shuttered plants have a joint capacity to produce about 1.35m vehicles.

中国市场曾占到现代汽车销量的四分之一，而如今陷入困境的现代在华合资企业每年拥有大约135万辆汽车的产能。

Hyundai Motor said plunging⁹ sales in China meant its affiliate there could not make the required payments for plastic fuel tanks and that it was “working to find a resolution”.

现代汽车表示，中国市场销量大幅下降意味着北京现代无法支付塑料油箱的货款，该公司同时称，它“正在寻求解决办法”。

A joint venture between Hyundai Motor and BAIC Motor, Beijing Hyundai produces solely¹⁰ for the Chinese market. Local media in South Korea have reported the outstanding bill to be as much as $17m.

北京现代是现代与北汽(BAIC Motor)成立的合资企业，它只为中国市场生产汽车。韩国国内媒体报道称，未偿货款高达1700万美元。

The factories, three of which are in Beijing and one in eastern Hangzhou, closed gradually from the middle of last week and it is unclear when they will reopen, a spokesperson for Hyundai Motor said.

现代汽车的一位发言人表示，北京现代的4家工厂——3家位于北京，1家位于河北沧州——从上周三起逐渐停产，目前尚不清楚它们何时恢复生产。