纽约时报 贸易僵局引中国对美投资锐减(4)（在线收听）

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States,

先前，外国投资委员会

which previously only had the authority to review transactions in which a foreign investor took a controlling stake of an American business,

只有权利审查取得了美国企业控股权地位的外国投资商的交易情况，

is now reviewing a broader range of transactions,

如今，该委员会可审查的交易范围已经扩展，

including joint ventures and smaller investments by foreigners in American businesses that make critical technology.

合资企业和外国投资方对制造关键技术的美国企业所做的小规模投资也进入了他们的审查范围。

“There’s certainly a degree of hesitation in China in investing in the U.S.,”

“中国对在美国投资产生了犹疑，这是肯定的，”

said Aimen Mir, the former assistant secretary for investment security at the Treasury Department

曾任美国财政部投资安全事务副助理部长，

who recently joined the law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

但不久前已经加入富尔德律师事务所的艾蒙·N·米尔说道。

“It’s hard to argue against the fact that these rules have clearly had some impact on Chinese investment.”

“这些规定对中国投资显然是有一定影响的，这是无可争辩的事实。”

Weaker Chinese investment is unlikely to derail the United States economy,

尽管如此，美国经济因为中国投资减少而脱轨的可能性不大，

as it is a small fraction of that from Britain, Canada, Japan and Germany.

因为跟英国、加拿大、日本和德国的投资相比，中国的投资显得微不足道。

China also continues to be largest buyer of United States Treasuries;

中国也还是美国国债的最大买家；

however, its holdings have fallen in recent years to $1.1 trillion, according to the latest Treasury Department data.

然而，财政部发布的最新数据显示，近年来，其持有量已缩减至1.1万亿美元。

But the decline in investment could hurt areas that are already economically disadvantaged

不过，中国投资的减少可能殃及到经济落后地区，

and that have become dependent on Chinese cash.

以及已经对中国资金产生依赖的地区。

States like Michigan have increasingly wooed Chinese investment,

密歇根等州一直在大力吸引中国投资，

resulting in new factories and jobs in a part of the country that has struggled to recover from the Great Recession.

这些一直难以走出经济大萧条阴影的地区才得以建起新工厂，创造大量的就业机会。

Craig Allen, the president of the U.S.-China Business Council,

美中贸易全国委员会主席克雷格·艾伦表示，

said the loss of Chinese investment would be felt predominantly in rural states

受中国投资流失影响最大的将是农村地区，

where Chinese investors have bought factories and revived struggling businesses.

因为中国投资商在那些地区购置了工厂，那些原本艰难挣扎的企业才得以复苏。

“The not-so-welcome mat is out, and it is having a deleterious effect on relatively poorer areas in the United States that need jobs,” he said.

“不欢迎门垫已经铺开，已经给相对贫穷，需要就业的地区造成了不良影响，”他说。

“The Chinese hear from our state and local officials that they’re welcome,” Mr. Allen said.

“中国人从我们各州官员和地方官员嘴里听到的是他们是受欢迎的，”艾伦说。

“What they’re hearing from federal officials is quite different.”

“但他们从联邦官员嘴里听到的却大相径庭。”

In Kentucky’s Ballard County, local officials are grateful

肯塔基州巴拉德县的当地官员就很感激

that China’s Shanying International Holdings acquired a closed paper mill last year.

中国的山鹰国际控股在去年收购他们一家关停的造纸厂。

In May, the mill reopened and filled many of the 300 jobs that had been lost.

今年5月，这家工厂已经重新开业，先前损失的300个就业岗位的一大部分也得以恢复。

Mayor Brandi Harless of Paducah, Ky., who traveled to China to meet executives of the company this year,

肯塔基州帕迪尤卡市市长布兰迪·哈利斯今年曾前往中国与山鹰的高管会面，

said that it would be a shame if trade tensions hampered manufacturing investments in towns such as hers.

她表示，如果紧张的贸易关系阻碍了中国在类似像她的市那样的地方的制造业投资，那将太可惜了。

“Given our national conversation, I expected there to be some hesitancy,” Ms. Harless said.

“鉴于全国上下讨论如此热烈，我原本以为大家对山鹰的投资会有些迟疑，”哈利斯说。

“But I haven’t heard anyone in our community be negative about this opportunity.”

“但就我所在的社区而言，我还未听到任何人对这次机遇持负面态度。”