去年中國對美投資創紀錄 China investment in the US hits record $15bn

Chinese investment in the US hit a record $15bn last year and is set to reach twice that this year despite calls for greater scrutiny and growing political sensitivities in Washington, according to a new report.

一份新的研究報告顯示，儘管在華盛頓有人呼籲加大審查力度、並且有關交易的政治敏感性日益升高，去年中國對美投資還是達到了創紀錄的150億美元，而且今年的數字有望翻番。

The study by the National Committee on US-China Relations and the Rhodium Group, which tracks foreign direct investment in the US, is an attempt to promote China’s growing role as an investor in the US.

美中關係全國委員會(National Committee on US-China Relations)和榮鼎諮詢(Rhodium Group)共同展開的這項研究，對外商對美直接投資(FDI)進行了跟蹤。這項研究旨在宣傳中國在美扮演的越來越重要的投資者角色。

At the end of 2015, more than 1,900 Chinese-affiliated companies were operating in the US across more than 80 per cent of its congressional districts and employing some 90,000 people, according to the report.

該報告的數據顯示，2015年底，有逾1900家中國附屬公司在美逾80%的國會選區開展業務，聘用了約9萬人。

“While much of this year’s political campaign rhetoric has focused on jobs leaving the United States, Chinese investment is supporting more and more jobs this side of the Pacific,” Stephen Orlins, the committee’s president, writes in the report’s foreword.

該委員會主席斯蒂芬•奧爾林斯(Stephen Orlins)在報告序言中寫道：“儘管今年有許多政治活動口號聚焦於工作崗位流出美國上，但中國的投資正在太平洋這邊支撐着越來越多的工作崗位。”

Despite its stated goal the report nonetheless points to the way growing Chinese investment in the US is both changing and testing the relationship between the world’s two largest economies.

雖然該報告聲稱要宣傳中國在美扮演的投資者角色，但它也指出，中國日益加大的對美投資既改變着、也考驗着世界頭兩大經濟體之間的關係。

Chinese corporates have in recent years been rotating their overseas investment from developing economies to advanced ones such as the US. Last year, Chinese companies completed more than 100 mergers and acquisitions in the US, at a value of $13.5bn, including insurer Anbang’s acquisition of the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York for $1.95bn.

最近幾年，中國企業已把境外投資的目標從發展中經濟體換爲美國等發達經濟體。去年，中國企業在美完成了逾100宗併購，總價值135億美元，其中包括保險公司安邦(Anbang)斥資19.5億美元收購紐約華爾道夫酒店(Waldorf Astoria hotel)。

With more than $30bn in pending deals and projects announced so far in 2016 the report predicts another record year for Chinese investment in the US.

鑑於2016年迄今宣佈的待定交易和項目價值逾300億美元，這份報告預計，今年中國對美投資會再創紀錄。

But it also warns of a rising politicisation in the US that threatens incoming Chinese investment.

但該報告也提醒稱，美國在此事上越來越強的政治化傾向對即將到來的中國投資產生了威脅。

“The presidential election cycle elevates the risk that this debate may take the opposite turn in 2016,” they said. “Congress has a responsibility to ensure that the debate about appropriate responses to Chinese FDI proceeds rationally and does not damage America’s reputation for openness.”

該報告的作者們表示：“國會有責任確保各方理性地就如何正確應對中國對美直接投資展開爭論，並確保這一爭論不會損害美國開放的聲譽。”